Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Israel Adesanya, gives his honest opinion on Khamzat Chimaev

Last Sunday, Israel Adesanya successfully defended his UFC middleweight title against Paulo Costa and impressed many, including the current undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Eagle recently interacted with the media and was asked to give his thoughts on Israel Adesanya’s performance. In reply, Khabib Nurmagomedov praised The Last Stylebender for defeating tough opponents and called him a superstar.

"I think he's already a superstar, right now. He's very good. You know, like he's undefeated, he beat a lot of tough guys," said Khabib Nurmagomedov during UFC 254 virtual media day.  

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After besting Paulo Costa, Israel Adesanya overtook UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in the pound-for-pound rankings and moved to the third spot. The list is topped by Adesanya’s arch-rival Jon Jones, while Khabib Nurmagomedov is second. The Eagle is scheduled to fight interim champion Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout at UFC 254 and could come close or dethrone Jon Jones in the pound-for-pound list if he wins. UFC 254 is scheduled to take on October 24 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov's thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev

Later, The Eagle talked about Khamzat Chimaev, who has been dominating the middleweight and welterweight division ever since making his debut in July 2020. A few weeks ago at UFC Vegas 11, Khamzat Chimaev took the MMA world by storm as he took out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds with a sensational KO. After the PPV, Khamzat Chimaev was praised by many in the promotion, including UFC president Dana White who called him “the next big thing”.

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While talking about the new UFC star, Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed that UFC should give Khamzat Chimaev some high-ranking opponents. The Eagle then stated that he likes Chimaev’s fighting style and revealed that he can’t wait to see Chimaev fight some tough fighters. Khabib Nurmagomedov ended his answer saying that after fighting a few top fighters, Khamzat Chimaev should get a contender fight as he has been proving himself fight after fight.

“I don’t know what the UFC is going to do with him, about his next opponent, but in my opinion, I think he deserves a top 10, top 15 (opponent). In my opinion, it’s top 10. Then, after this one, he deserves a contender fight. This is my opinion.”

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Image Source: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Israel Adesanya Instagram