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Khamzat Chimaev ended a turbulent weekend on a positive note, beating Kevin Holland in the first round of the co-main event at UFC 279 from Las Vegas.
The action was fast and furious from the start as the Netherlands was forced to scramble as Chimaev jumped immediately at the opening bell Survive.
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This battle is about to start 🤯
STREAM #UFC279 now ➡️ https://t.co/9Eaf451BCo pic.twitter.com/rDK4qB5R4a
Although it succeeded a little, the inevitability of Chimayev is too great . He grabbed a D’Arce choke, and while having to reapply it a few times, he locked it and pulled the tap out of Holland. Sports Center@Sports Center
KHAMZAT COMPLETED IN ROUND 1 😱 #UFC279 pic.twitter.com/gREltzGjnP
The win gave Chimayev a disastrous weekend, but it’s hard to do considering he’s a winner. Chimaev got an excellent opportunity to show his skills against a relatively large draw against Nate Diaz who headlined.
Instead, he was relegated to fight Holland after weighing 7.5 pounds at welterweight after exceeding the 171-pound limit.
UFC President Dana White Why Chimaev lost so much weight. “He’s been very, very thin, and he should gain weight,” White told reporters. “He started losing weight and he started locking up and cramping and everything that happens with bad cuts.” Regardless, Chimayev maintained his winning streak despite last-minute opponent changes.
This does raise questions about what’s going to happen next for the 28-year-old. Chimaev appears to be on the hook for a win at UFC 279, but the question now is whether he can keep going down to 170 pounds.
This is his first weight loss in the UFC, but at 6ft 2in, he’s a big welterweight stature.
As long as he can prove it was a fluke, he will likely continue his rise as a UFC star.
