UFC 294 Preview: Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Oct 21)
- The winner of the Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev will get to fight Sean Strickland for the UFC Middleweight title.
- Chimaev was originally meant to fight Paulo Costa in the UFC 294 co-main event, but after he quit, Usman stepped in.
- āBorzā has never fought such a good opponent as āThe Nigerian Nightmareā but heās still favored to win at -270 UFC 294 odds at BetUS.
Khamzat Chimaevās detractors have been accusing him of having āDana White privilege,ā especially after it was revealed that the winner of the Usman vs. Chimaev UFC 294 is going to get a shot at the UFC Middleweight title.
Sure, āBorzā has only fought two ranked fighters so far, and his next opponent is moving up a weight division on a 10-day notice, after two back-to-back losses. However, no one can deny that Chimaev is a hell of a fighter. And heās got a chance to prove it in the UFC 294 co-main event on October 21.
How to Watch
- When: Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 2:00 p.m ET
- Where: Etihad Arena, Yas Island, United Arab Emirates
- How to Watch: PPV
Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Khamzat Chimaev | |
| Kamaru Usman |
Fight Preview
Khamzat Chimaev (12-0) is a controversial character both inside and outside the Octagon. Known for his close ties with the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, āBorzā is a very popular figure in Russia where he lived before moving to Sweden in his late teens.
In the past, he fought under the flag of Sweden, but since recently, heās moved his allegiance to the United Arab Emirates. That is the country where UFC 294 will take place this coming weekend, so itās only natural to assume heās going to have fans on his side against Kamaru Usman (20-3).
Another thing going in his favor is that heās had a full camp, which Usman did not. Plus, Usman is moving up to the middleweight division for this fight, with each of his previous 23 fights being welterweight bouts.
Further, Usmanās confidence probably isnāt sky-high following two straight defeats to Leon Edwards, one of which saw him get put to sleep in the final minute of the fifth round.
Still, thereās one thing that needs to worry Chimaevās fans. Heās never fought such a great fighter as Usman before. In fact, the highest-ranked fighter heās ever fought is Gilbert Burns, whoās the current No. 5 welterweight.
READ ALSO: UFC 294 Preview: Islam Makhachev vs. Aleksander Volkanovski 2 Prediction, Odds, and Picks (Oct 21)
When it comes to the middleweight division, his toughest opponent was Gerald Meerschaert, whom he KO-ed after just 17 seconds.
In his most recent fight, Chimaev defeated Kevin Holland in a 180lb catchweight fight. The two werenāt originally meant to fight, but Chimaev missed weight for the fight with Nate Diaz, so the UFC found him a new opponent.
Usman vs. Chimaev Prediction
Everything is going in Chimaevās favor ahead of the UFC 294 co-main event, which is why anything but an easy win for āBorzā would be a huge upset in our eyes.
Free Pick:
