Dominance in‍ chicago, But Room for Enhancement

Khamzat Chimaev cemented his status as the new middleweight champion at UFC 319 on Saturday, August 17th, at the United Center in Chicago, defeating Dricus Du Plessis by unanimous decision. However, former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman believes Chimaev’s performance, while dominant, revealed a strategic conservation of energy rather than a relentless pursuit of a‍ finish.

Chimaev, now ⁢15-0 in his professional MMA career (9-0 in the UFC), controlled the fight with a relentless grappling attack, securing 12 takedowns and over 21 minutes of control time. Despite this overwhelming control,he failed to secure a finish against the 23-3 du Plessis (9-1 UFC).

The Psychology of control: Why Chimaev Didn’t Finish

Usman, speaking on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo, explained Chimaev’s approach. “Khamzat Chimaev possessed this one skill that can make you look like a middle school wrestler,” Usman stated.⁤ He elaborated that Chimaev appeared ‍to be pacing himself, recognizing that a lack of resistance can be surprisingly fatiguing.

“Everything ⁤is working⁤ because, in your mind, you’re wanting resistance. Resistance is how you gauge how much‍ output I need‍ to put out. If everything is going right, you can’t gauge ⁣how much output to put out,” Usman explained. He suggested Chimaev may have been ⁣wary of expending too much energy early, possibly leading to fatigue in later rounds.

Missed Opportunities on the Ground

Usman pinpointed a specific area where Chimaev could have capitalized: when Du Plessis was on all fours. “When he was on the⁤ back, and Dricus‍ was on all fours, Khamzat kind of coasted, kind of landed some knees to the thigh. He ⁢could ⁢have one, sucked him back, or ‍you could have put that weight ⁢on Dricus Du Plessis’ arms, driving that head down, kept driving and driving. I guarantee you do that for a round,⁢ Dricus Du Plessis either wants to ⁤go on his back, or he gives up these positions a lot easier, (and) that allows you to have that choke.”

Usman’s Own Test of Chimaev

Usman himself provided Chimaev with a notable challenge in ⁤a recent bout at UFC 294 ⁢in October 2023. Taking the fight on short notice and moving up a weight class, Usman won⁣ the third round on ⁣two judges’ scorecards and Rounds 2 and 3 on one, demonstrating his ⁢resilience and grappling prowess.