Media GIF Breakdown: Khamzats striking and lack of head movement is going to cost him

[GeneTunney7]

Where's the evidence he's stronger and has better cardio, or is this more fanboy talk?

His cardio on Saturday looked like shit in what was mainly a striking affair.

Via way of his wrestling career. Khamzat tech falled the Iranian Olympian with ease, was a 203 lb national champion that did not even let a point be scored on him, where as Colby could not even become a top 4 wrestler in college at 174 pounds. Even when Khamzat was a far inferior wrestler he got third in all of Russia, which means he had to top all those Dagestani monsters - the same ones that deprived Khabib from even making his local wrestling team. After he left for Sweden and stayed there a while, he got alot better too, and this can be see via the fact that when he first moved there he was winning but being scored on, and the last two years of his career over there not a single point was scored on him.

Colby was a very good smaller wrestler (he is a modern light weight sized dude), but Khamzat is something very special and is big for even a middle weight (see his match vs Hermansson). Dont let the fact that Khamzat chose to have a kick boxing match with BJJ ace Burns fool you. Ask Colby or Usman when they fought Maia: you dont take down a guy that good on the ground, you kick box them.

 

[Goosemen]

Via way of his wrestling career. Khamzat tech falled the Iranian Olympian with ease, was a 203 lb national champion that did not even let a point be scored on him, where as Colby could not even become a top 4 wrestler in college at 174 pounds. Even when Khamzat was a far inferior wrestler he got third in all of Russia, which means he had to top all those Dagestani monsters - the same ones that deprived Khabib from even making his local wrestling team. After he left for Sweden and stayed there a while, he got alot better too, and this can be see via the fact that when he first moved there he was winning but being scored on, and the last two years of his career over there not a single point was scored on him.

Colby was a very good smaller wrestler (he is a modern light weight sized dude), but Khamzat is something very special and is big for even a middle weight (see his match vs Hermansson). Dont let the fact that Khamzat chose to have a kick boxing match with BJJ ace Burns fool you. Ask Colby or Usman when they fought Maia: you dont take down a guy that good on the ground, you kick box them.

Khamzat might land a a takedown or two on Usman, but like I said, Usman scrambles back to his feet and Khamzat gasses out against Usman who has the best cardio in the division. Then he's in trouble on the feet when he's too tired to try and take him down.

Wittman will have a good gameplan to exploit those giant holes in Khamzats game.

 

[wildchild88]

He's not Dagestani tho

Ah k didn't realise.. he is from Chechnya..

 

[Paolo Delutis]

I started another thread saying that Chimaev should fight a guy ranked between 6-10 with a lot of people laughing at the concept. I think that the gifs provided are clear evidence that I am correct in my assertion he needs to fight a lower ranked guy to fix some of these issues.

Magny says hi...

 

[GeneTunney7]

Khamzat might land a a takedown or two on Usman, but like I said, Usman scrambles back to his feet and Khamzat gasses out against Usman who has the best cardio in the division. Then he's in trouble on the feet when he's too tired to try and take him down.

Wittman will have a good gameplan to exploit those giant holes in Khamzats game.

Maybe....we will find out. The one thing about Sherdog is recency bias rules all. You are only as good as your most recent fight and MMA Math dictates. In people's minds, Usman KO'd Burns and Khamzat did not, therefor Usman beats Burns 100/100 times. MMA dont work like that tho. People thought Conor would beat Dustin 100/100 after he slept him, and now he has has lost two straight to him. For all we know, Burns may've greatly improved after that Marty loss and now would beat him - he sure came dang close in their first fight.

My money is still on Khamzat owing to the fact he will should all the areas that Usman is strong - the reach, size, athletic, wrestling and size advantages are all nullified. Khamzat also can grow alot more as he only been doing this for three years, not to mention he will learn tremendously after a fight like this.

 

[Th3Sav4ge]

people are sleeping on the speed difference, including khamzat. Imo hes better off at middleweight where hes the faster person. burns is undersized length wise against the top welters, but his body is full and hes 100% ready to go. reminds me of robbert whittakar at middle being able to fire on all cylinders at the expense of length.

khamzat imo didnt respect the skills/speed or durability of burns or probably any other welter weight. he thought he was gonna walk over him like he was able to gerald due to the speed advantage that he never had against burns. i mean chimaev walked into shots all night thinking he was gonna be able to react and read everything like he can against the middles.

 

[The Clark]

People thought Conor would beat Dustin 100/100 after he slept him

Who? Who thought that?

 

[Cheatr Pan]

People seem to forget that Usman had the exact same “holes” in his game AFTER he became champion. Go watch the first Colby fight. He cleaned those up and became the p4p #1 with two performances of the year

 

[MechMA]

If I was Usman id campaign to fight him ASAP.

In about 2 years, with good striking coaches, Khamzat would actually be a major threat.

Right now I think Usman toasts him.

If they feed Khamzat someone like Edwards, who I think is stylistically his easiest top 5 fight, to give him a confidence boost and more time to improve, he actually imho has a good chance of beating Usman. Vs now where id give him 10% chance at best.

 

[Goosemen]

If I was Usman id campaign to fight him ASAP.

In about 2 years, with good striking coaches, Khamzat would actually be a major threat.

Right now I think Usman toasts him.

If they feed Khamzat someone like Edwards, who I think is stylistically his easiest top 5 fight, to give him a confidence boost and more time to improve, he actually imho has a good chance of beating Usman. Vs now where id give him 10% chance at best.

How is that going to happen if he stays at Swedish Edmonds?

 

[AdamantiumPimmel]

 

[SKITZADACTYL]

The irony of this thread being made by a Gaethje nuthugger is too much

 

[blaseblah]

People seem to forget that Usman had the exact same “holes” in his game AFTER he became champion. Go watch the first Colby fight. He cleaned those up and became the p4p #1 with two performances of the year

Usman was also 31 when he became champ. Khamzat is only 27. He has a lot of time to develop his striking. I just worry that their insistence on having him fight the number 2 guy right away won't give him that time. I really would have liked to see the Magny fight but the UFC was dead set on it not happening.

 

[asdf122345]

I don't think his chin will handle usman power to be honest.

 

[DjolexMTL]

I don't see how he matches up well with Usman anywhere- no way he dominates Usman on the ground, and he is clearly the lesser striker, so how does he win? To win, Khaz would have to be vastly improved, and Usman would have to NOT improve, which I don't see happening. I know everyone here on Sherdog is on his hypetrain, but there is a real problem explaining how he is going to beat Usman. Usman has NEVER been taken down, and if Khaz didn't want any of Gilbert on the ground, doubt he mixes it up with Usman.

I agree Usman would give Khamzat trouble on the feet.

However I think you overestimate Usman's wrestling at this point of his career. He admitted himself his knees were shot, he doesn't wrestle anymore, and virtually no one tried to wrestle him since he became champ. I think Khamzat can give him trouble there.

Oh and they didn't score's Colby's TD on Usman in their 2nd fight, but that was technically a TD

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

The irony of this thread being made by a Gaethje nuthugger is too much

Gaethje had good defense, he just chose to fight recklessly for entertainment's sake. his is more of a mind set thing than a skill set thing.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Surely there is no way he can learn from this fight and improve his defence.

i don't see the TS saying that, he's just pointing out the flaws in the striking.

 

[Iroh]

i don't see the TS saying that, he's just pointing out the flaws in the striking.

It's in the thread title. He says it's going to cost him. Meaning he won't fix it and it will be exploited.

 

[Royce's Gi]

people are sleeping on the speed difference, including khamzat. Imo hes better off at middleweight where hes the faster person. burns is undersized length wise against the top welters, but his body is full and hes 100% ready to go. reminds me of robbert whittakar at middle being able to fire on all cylinders at the expense of length.

khamzat imo didnt respect the skills/speed or durability of burns or probably any other welter weight. he thought he was gonna walk over him like he was able to gerald due to the speed advantage that he never had against burns. i mean chimaev walked into shots all night thinking he was gonna be able to react and read everything like he can against the middles.

Would love to be full and 100 % ready to go.

 

[Goosemen]

It's in the thread title. He says it's going to cost him. Meaning he won't fix it and it will be exploited.

The burden of proof is on Khamzat to become a better striker.

I'm not saying it's unheard of to improve, but most fighters will not go on to have great striking if they have so many flaws at 27. Some do, but most don't, so I'm not holding my breath. Especially if he stays at All Stars.