October 21, (THEWILL) – Khamzat Chimaev secured a majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman in a gruelling co-main event at UFC 294 on Saturday night.
Chimaev almost finished the fight in the first round but had to endure a fierce comeback from Usman before eventually getting the judges’ nod. To be fair to Usman, he was a late call for UFC 294 and did not have the most optimum camp preparations for the bout.
In the opening moments, Chimaev immediately shot for a takedown and started punishing Usman with punches and elbows whilst looking for a submission. It was total dominance early on but after failing to get the stoppage, Usman managed to rally back with some strong striking that began to even up the contest.
A late third-round takedown from Chimaev likely helped seal the deal with the judges scoring the bout 29-27, 29-27, 28-28 in his favour to give him the majority decision victory. After the win, Chimaev paid tribute to his opponent, stating: “I’m a big fan of Usman, he has good coaches, a good team. I didn’t come here for the titles, [I’m here to] make money and be happy.”
According to UFC CEO, Dana White, the winner of this fight would receive the next title shot against middleweight champion Sean Strickland. So, it appears that will be Chimaev’s next assignment after picking up the biggest win of his career against the welterweight legend Usman.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
