KHAMZAT CHIMAEV bagged himself a middleweight title fight with a hard-fought decision victory over Kamaru Usman.
The undefeated Russian made his long-awaited octagon return in the co-main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.
Chimaev, 29, was welcomed to the middleweight division by fellow debutant Usman, who accepted the fight on 11 day’s notice following Paulo Costa’s withdrawal.
Former pound-for-pound king Usman was expected to provide the Chechen clubber with the toughest test of his unblemished career.
And he did just that, pushing Chimaev to the very brink in the third and final round.
The judges scored the contest 29-27, 29-27, 28-28.
Chimaev was brimming with confidence ahead of the short-notice clash and adamant he’d wipe the floor with Usman, which he ultimately did.
During media day, he said: “Since day one I get to the UFC, everyone spoke about Khamzat, Usman, Khamzat, Usman.
“Our wrestling skills, our striking, all of these things.
“Usman is a fighter like me, but he’s the old version, I’m new, different.
“Like iPhones come out, he’s iPhone 5. I’m like Pro. It’s different.”
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