LAS VEGAS – Ilir Latifi thinks the hype surrounding Khamzat Chimaev is more than warranted.
A longtime training partner of Chimaev’s at All Stars Gym in Sweden, Latifi says the unbeaten star is right where he expected him to be. Chimaev (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) took the UFC by storm in 2020 and has racked up four dominant wins. Most recently, he choked out Li Jingliang in the first round at UFC 267.
“He’s even better,” Latifi told MMA Junkie. “He has a lot of potential. I’ve known this kid since the first day he came into the gym, and I said from the first day this guy has potential. Even before he was in the UFC, he has done some professional fights and I said this guy is ready and he can already beat the top in the UFC.
“It wasn’t about bragging. I just knew his skill set and his talent and his determination, so what we’re seeing is nothing that I’m surprised of. But still, I think he needs the time to grow in the sport because he’s not only fighting, it’s all the hype around you and the fame, and that’s all something that you need to be able to handle.”
In his most recent outing in June, Latifi (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing skid by edging out Tanner Boser at UFC Fight Night 189. But Latifi didn’t come out of the fight unscathed, suffering multiple arm fractures and a damaged eye which sidelined him for months. But the 38-year-old is prepping for a February return, teasing a potential fight in the works.
Ilir Latifi says Khamzat Chimaev better than everyone thinks: ‘He has a lot of potential’
