Khamzat Chimaev believes he could choke out Demian Maia

Red hot UFC welterweight and middleweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev believes he could choke out legendary BJJ specialist Demian Maia.

Chimaev is currently looking for an opponent for his fourth fight in the Octagon and Maia has been mentioned many times as a potential dance partner for the prospect.

If this fight happens, Chimaev is confident he’d win—perhaps even by submission.

“I want to fight with Demian Maia,” Chimaev said at a scrum on Fight Island (via MMA Fighting). “Maybe I choke him out and get the black belt, we will see. If he want to fight with me, I am ready.”

Khamzat Chimaev has had a huge 2020 in the UFC. The rising star first picked up two wins in the span of 10 days on Fight Island in July, defeating John Phillips by first-round submission and Rhys McKee by first-round TKO. He then picked up his third win of the season when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 11, also in the first round.

Since that win over Meerschaert, he’s been calling out a host of high-level opponents from Conor McGregor, to Nate Diaz, to Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. He’s even laid out plans for future fights with UFC champs Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya.

Whoever Chimaev ends up fighting next, he’s confident that he’ll be up to to the task, and that he’ll soon be fighting for a UFC championship.

“For me it doesn’t matter,” Chimaev said. “I want to fight, I love to fight. The belt is coming. What are they gonna do? I finished all my opponents. They have to give me the belt.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Chimaev said. “I do my hard work in the gym, I’m ready for everybody.”

Who would you like to see Khamzat Chimaev fight next? If it’s Demian Maia, do you think the prospect could pull of a submission win?