Khamzat Chimaev’s coach defined why his combat with Islam Makhachev is about greater than rankings, weight class and advertising and marketing. In feedback associated to MMA As we speak, Chimaev’s longtime coach Murad Nurmagomedov Nascimento mentioned this matchup is unlikely because of the stage of respect between the 2 fighters.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Islam Makhachev
Nascimento defined that Chimaev and Makhachev know one another and respect one another. He identified that this separation alone makes unifications and superfights extra sophisticated than easy reserving. He additionally addressed faith and tradition, saying he lives in a Muslim-majority surroundings and understands how public conflicts are interpreted inside their neighborhood.
“They respect one another and know one another, however they do not prepare collectively. It additionally has to do with faith, which is essential of their tradition. I do not assume that may truly occur. It will be simpler for Khamzat to go up than down.”
On the identical word, Nascimento mentioned that he “would not assume a combat between Chimaev and Makhachev will truly occur,” particularly at this stage, and that it could be simpler for Chimaev to maneuver up in weight relatively than transfer right down to face Makhachev at welterweight or light-weight. These feedback are according to what Makhachev’s supervisor Ali Abdelaziz has urged. In different phrases, there’s some symbolism hooked up to this matchup: this matchup “is mindless” and “won’t ever occur.”
Makhachev is from Dagestan. Chimaev is initially from Chechnya, and the 2 international locations share a historical past that’s typically described as tense and politically delicate. With that background, a high-profile combat between them could possibly be seen as greater than only a sports activities contest.
This recognition is among the the reason why Makhachev handled this subject with such care. Requested instantly about dealing with Chimaev, he mentioned: “I do not wish to open the door to any form of battle between our peoples,” hinting on the danger {that a} combat within the cage may result in broader social issues. He additionally refers to Chimaev as a brother within the Islamic neighborhood, reinforcing the concept that their relationship is formed not solely by elite-level rivalry but in addition by a typical religion.
On a sensible stage, questions on physique sort all the time come up in discussions on the UFC stage about the place the 2 will meet. Chimaev has already moved as much as middleweight, profitable the 185-pound title with a landslide victory over Drikas du Plessis at UFC 319. Due to his dimension and energy at that stage, coaches and analysts have urged that asking him to drop to 170 kilos could be much less applicable than staying at 185 kilos and even transferring up.
Makhachev, in the meantime, has already moved to welterweight and is forging his subsequent path there, relatively than aiming for one iconic superfight. Between the cultural demographics, the skepticism of teaching and administration, and the bodily inconsistencies, it appears utterly unrealistic.
