Kamaru Usman says UFC 273 star Khamzat Chimaev “did nothing” and “needs a few more fights” ahead of title fight

UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman is adamant that Khamzat Chimaev is not worth considering for a title shot.

Russian-born Swede Chimaev is close to fighting for the 170-pound belt after just four fights mixed martial arts first promotion.

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The grappling phenom will be close to fighting for the welterweight title should he get past former title challenger Gilbert Burns this weekend ufc 273

But Usman believes the undefeated Chechen has received one hell of a publicity boost from the UFC breams.

That Dear Hemp Ambassadors told SunSport: “It seems very, very fast. And that seems funny about it.

“Of course I understand that they are bringing all this hype and all this news, media and attention to this kid. But he hasn’t done anything yet.”

Chimaev made easy work of all his Octagon opponents, decimating John Phillips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert and spectacularly Choking by Li Jingliang.

Usman is not yet impressed with Borz’s work, however, and would love to see him consistently mix it with the best the stacked welterweight class has to offer.

The Nigerian Nightmare said: “He did his job, he did what he was supposed to do with the opposition [been] submitted to him.

“And so, yeah, I’d love to see him ranked and fight some of these guys in ranked to really put that flag down there [and]’Hey, I really need a title shot.’

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“But just because it’s not hype and excitement doesn’t justify a title shot.”

Usman is currently recovering from hand surgery but is expected to defend his title against Britain’s Leon Edwards later this year.

And in Usman’s eyes, the soft-spoken Edwards – undefeated in his last ten fights – is the very embodiment of a deserving title contender.

The 34-year-old said: “Look at Leon Edwards. Leon fought me five years ago I think.

“Actually maybe even more – I think almost six or seven [years ago when] Leon fought me.

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“And he hasn’t lost since and may be close to a title opportunity.

“So to just throw that kid in there in a year or two and start talking about title fights if he’s never hit anyone [Colby] covington, [Jorge] Masvidal, Edwards, Burns, Luque, none of those guys.

“It’s hard to say, ‘Okay, we’re just going to skip these guys and hand it to him because there’s a lot of excitement around him.'”

Regardless of whether Chimaev makes a statement against his former Sanford MMA teammate, Usman is adamant that the UFC’s newest Russian prospect needs some marquee wins against the welterweight division’s elite.

He said: “I think he needs a few more fights.”

Kamaru Usman is ambassador for love hempUFC’s Official Global CBD Partner.

Love Hemp is a leading supplier of CBD products in the UK and US. The award-winning range is stocked by over 2,000 retailers across the UK, giving Love Hemp a reputation as one of the most trusted CBD brands on the market.

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