- Khamzat Chimaev has opened as the -155 betting favorite in a potential bout versus Colby Covington
- Chimaev called out Covington on Twitter just days after hinting that he would be moving up to 185 pounds.
- UFC President Dana White is, however, still undecided on what weight class does Chimaev fight at next.
Khamzat Chimaev has opened as the slight betting favorite in a potential showdown with Colby Covington.
According to online sportsbook BetOnline, Borz is the -155 favorite with Covington coming back at +135 odds.
Here are the opening odds for a potential Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington fight:
Khamzat Chimaev -155 (20/31)
Colby Covington +135 (27/20)(odds via @betonline_ag) đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/5T7nvan9uz
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) September 29, 2022
It can be recalled that Chimaev recently called out Covington on social media weeks after hinting at a move to middleweight following his UFC 279 fiasco. Chimaev was supposed to headline UFC 279 against Nate Diaz but the Chechen fighter missed weight by a massive 7.5 pounds, forcing a massive shakeup of the entire fight card.
Diaz ended up fighting Tony Ferguson who was supposed to fight Li Jingliang in a welterweight bout on the main card. Li ended up fighting Daniel Rodriguez after his original opponent, Kevin Holland, was promoted to the co-headliner against Chimaev. Chimaev made easy work of Holland, finishing off the former XKO champion inside one minute.
After the event, Chimaev hinted that he was moving up to middleweight:
1 8 5 👊🏼💥 pic.twitter.com/urOK6BPayG
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) September 23, 2022
However, it appears that he wants to stay at 170 pounds.
Borz Wants Colby Next
Khamzat Chimaev calls out Colby Covington, pointing to his desire for a future at welterweight.
Read more: https://t.co/sTH0OQ9exl pic.twitter.com/j3vlyNfVRo
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 28, 2022
Covington is currently the UFC’s no. 2 ranked welterweight contender and is only behind former champion Kamaru Usman in the latest UFC welterweight rankings. Chaos is coming off a unanimous decision win over Jorge Masvidal at the main event of UFC 272 in a bout that won Fight of the Night honors.
A former interim UFC welterweight champion, Covington challenged Kamaru Usman twice for the undisputed title but lost via TKO and unanimous decision in his two attempts. There are reports that Edwards and Usman are headed for an immediate rematch so if Chimaev beats the no. 2 contender in Covington, he should have the inside track for the next welterweight title shot.
Despite his epic failure to make weight at UFC 279, Chimaev remains the UFC’s no. 3 ranked welterweight contender. There is no questioning Chimaev’s abilities now, especially after he beat Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 this past April. However, the big question is can he make 170 pounds again after what happened at UFC 279?
“Big Beef” Between UFC Matchmakers About Chimaev’s Future
Dana White says there was a “big beef” between the UFC matchmakers about whether Khamzat Chimaev should fight at 170 pounds again đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/eR1lRJV6ia
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) September 28, 2022
While Chimaev says he wants Covington next, UFC President Dana White is unsure about which weight class Borz’s next fight will be.
Following the season finale of the Contender Series, White was asked what the promotion’s plans for Chimaev and he told reporters that Wolf’s future is still uncertain, with UFC matchmakers having a “big beef” about which weight class Chimaev should fight next
Said, White:
Promotional newcomer and highly-touted prospect Bo Nickal called for a fight with Chimaev after his win at the Contender Series last Tuesday. However, White didn’t seem interested and Nickal ended up getting booked as an astronomical -1800 favorite against Jamie Pickett in a middleweight bout at UFC 282. As for Chimaev, the wait continues.
