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The aura of invincibility surrounding Khamzat Chimaev has been shattered, according to legendary former lightweight fighter Dustin Poirier.
Chimaev suffered the first loss of his career at UFC 328, losing a razor close split decision to Sean Strickland that cost the Chechen his middleweight belt. There’s been a lot of excuses as to why this happened. Some point to a botched weight cut, others point to over-training. Whatever the case, Poirier believes Khamzat is going to have a hard time when he eventually returns to competition because people now know he’s human.
“The problem for Khamzat, he likes to be that guy that can intimidate you,” Poirier said on the UFC’s Deep Waters podcast. “And the fact that Sean wasn’t intimidated? I think he fought Sean’s fight.”
Not only was Chimaev unable to impose his fighting style on Strickland, he also let the mask slip and show how all the lead-up to UFC 328 was basically fake and for attention. That’s not something people will forget.
“Whoever he gets matched up with next, it’s going to be tough for [Chimaev] to intimidate because his aura took a hit,” Poirer continued. “With the back and forth, I thought it was real. I think his whole aura took a hit this week. Every round, dapping it up like we’re besties and putting the belt on him? Like, come on, man.”
“That guy that was like, ‘I kill everybody, I kill everybody, smash, smash, smash.’ That’s not the guy we saw on Saturday night,” he concluded.
Whatever the reasons for his wilting performance at UFC 328, Chimaev will have to make some big changes when he returns. There’s been conflicting reports on whether he plans to move up to light heavyweight or stick around and rematch Strickland.
Given how scared he seems to be of his gas tank emptying at 185 pounds, a move to light heavyweight doesn’t sound bad. But Chimaev was already getting bullied by Strickland, who isn’t even a huge middleweight. Size won’t be on Khamzat’s side at 205 pounds, and at this point neither will the aura.
