UFC President Dana White has revealed his immediate plans for Khamzat Chimaev, arguably the hottest prospect in the UFC at present.<\/p>\n
Chimaev was the breakout star of the UFC’s four-event stint on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi this past July, picking up a pair of stoppage wins over John Phillips at middleweight and Rhys McKee at welterweight in the span of less than two weeks. Ever since, fight fans have been dying to know what will be next for him.<\/p>\n
According to White, the promotion is working on a fight for Chimaev on September 19 at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. If he wins that, they’re hoping to pair him up with BJJ ace and longtime welterweight contender Demian Maia when the promotion returns to Fight Island later this year. That bout would be the Sweden-based Dagestani’s first with a ranked foe<\/a>. It could also serve as Maia’s retirement fight, as he’s recently been flirting with the idea of hanging up his gloves.<\/p>\n “He\u2019ll fight here and he\u2019ll fight on Fight Island,\u201d White said of Chimaev after Friday’s UFC Vegas 9 weigh-ins concluded (via MMA Fighting<\/a>). “This guy wants to\u2014I love that. I love that mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re working on fight for him here [in Las Vegas], that\u2019s still being worked,\u201d White said. \u201cBut we\u2019re talking about him and Demian Maia on Fight Island.\u201d<\/p>\n While White did not divulge who the UFC is planning to match Chimaev up with on September 19, Brazilian publication Combate is reporting he’ll be matched up with Gerald Meerschaert.<\/p>\n Dana White disse que est\u00e1 negociando Demian Maia x Khamzat Chimaev pra Ilha da Luta, mas que antes o russo vai lutar em Las Vegas. Pelo que apurei, o UFC negocia para Chimaev enfrentar Gerald Meerschaert no card do dia 19 de setembro, pelo peso-m\u00e9dio (at\u00e9 84kg). #feedmma<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) September 4, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n