Former UFC commentator points out decisive factor that would favor Alex Poatan against Khamzat Chimaev

Alex Poatan (left) and Khamzat Chimaev (right) have been exchanging challenges since the end of UFC 281. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage

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Rumors of a possible fight between Alex Poatan and Khamzat Chimaev have been stirring up social media and the UFC's backstage. Although the fight has not yet been officially confirmed, speculation suggests that the Russian could be the Brazilian's next opponent for the light heavyweight title (up to 93kg).

According to Josh Thomson , former fighter and now commentator, Poatan would be the favorite to win if the fight takes place, mainly due to the physical and technical factors the Brazilian would bring to the contest. In an interview on the Weighting In Podcast with referee Big John McCarthy, the former UFC fighter analyzed the matchup from a strategic perspective.

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“The UFC is putting Chimaev in front of Alex Pereira because we know he’s going to want to take the fight to the wrestling stage. However, he’s not as big as Alex. And that opens up a good chance for the Brazilian to win even in that aspect of the fight. It reminds me a bit of the fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes ,” stated the former fighter.

The comment referenced the fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes , held in July 2015 at UFC 189. On that occasion, the Irishman was dominated in the first round, but saw the American tire after applying pressure in the grappling match, took advantage of an opening and knocked him out to win the interim featherweight title (up to 65,7kg) in Dana White's company.

Chimaev has yet to compete for a UFC belt

Khamzat Chimaev , one of the biggest names in MMA, quickly gained notoriety after arriving in the UFC, achieving impressive victories in record time, many of them by knockout or submission.

His meteoric rise caught the attention of fans and the media, and he soon became one of the top names in the welterweight division (77 kg). After a series of ups and downs on the scale, which prevented him from fighting for the belt in the category, Chimaev decided to establish himself in the middleweight (up to 83,9 kg), where he currently occupies the 3rd position in the ranking.

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