Dana White Has “Never Seen Anything Like” Khamzat Chimaev

On account of what Khamzat Chimaev showcased in the Octagon this past July, Dana White was already all-in on the rising fighter. But, following Chimaev’s quick, jaw-dropping KO at UFC Vegas 11, White says he’s witnessing something he’s never seen before.

White says Chimaev is something “special”

Chimaev quickly jumped into MMA headlines this past July, when he became the first fighter in UFC history to win two UFC bouts, in just 10 days.

The Chechen born, Swedish fighter faced John Phillips on July 15th and submitted the middleweight in round two. Just ten days later, Chimaev took on welterweight prospect Rhys McKee and stopped him in the first round.

Well, in both of those fights, Chimaev showcased a nasty wrestling and top game. But, this past Saturday, the 26-year-old turned to his striking and he put away Gerald Meerschaert with just one punch. The fight lasted 17 seconds.

So, following the event, White took his praise for Chimaev to new heights (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“The guy is special,” White said. “I’ve been in this game my whole life, I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s special, he’s different.

He wants to fight again, so I’ve never been in a position where I’m like, ‘Who’s next? How do we get him a fight?

How do we get him over here? How do we do this? How do we do that?’ It’s fun and I like it.

“I think when you’re a fight fan, a guy like this is the type of guy that you love to watch and follow and hate and whatever it might be.

This guy is one of the most special fighters I’ve ever seen, if not the most special guy that I’ve ever come across.

And he kept telling me leading up to this fight, ‘You think I’m a wrestler. Wait until you see my hands.’ Holy s*it, he wasn’t lying.”

And while discussing the fact Chimaev took out Meerschaert with a booming right, White said this.

“What’s crazy is when you talk about his win tonight and what he did and how impressive he was, he knocked out a guy who’s 185 pounds, a real guy, with one punch,” White said.

“[Chimaev’s] a 170-pounder. I’m telling you the guy is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Never seen anything like this in my life. Special.”

Reaction?

Now, some folks will note, and rightly so, that it’s White’s job to promote fights and fighters. In other words, if you’re somewhat skeptical still in terms of what the future holds for Chimaev, that’s okay.

While there’s no question he deserves plenty of buzz on account of what he’s shown in the Octagon, at the end of the day, Chimaev hasn’t faced a top contender yet. 

How will he do against a fighter with great wrestling defense, who has top-tier striking? Or against an established, rugged veteran with strong offensive wrestling?

One thing is clear, however, it’s going to be fascinating to see where Chimaev goes from here.