It’s not easy to take on the best competitors in the UFC, let alone jump from unranked opponents to taking on the top 3 fighters. The Swedish fighter, Hamza Shemayev did just that last weekend and proved his naysayers wrong.
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He now stands near the top of the welterweight division. Shemayev put in a great performance against Burns, and now recent updates suggest that the run-up to the Gilbert Burns fight wasn’t easy at all for Shemayev.
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Daniel Cormier spoke with ESPN MMA journalist Megan Olivi about the real reason behind Shemayev’s struggle. The UFC star has already faced his biggest opponent to date and hasn’t been at his best. He talks about the fight and why he thinks Poor’s wasn’t at his best. DC said, “That’s another thing, that we don’t talk much about Khamaz…Khums of a Muslim, he’s a Muslim man.”
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“He’s been fasting all day and fighting the biggest fight of his entire career this weekend. I had a guy live with me, and he could barely train wrestling. So training and preparing for a high-level fight now speaks to the kind of savage he really is Khamees Shimayev.”
Who should Khamza Shemayev face next?
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After his big victory over the previous title contender in his resume, Khameza Shemayev reached the welterweight category. UFC President Dana White has also already shown interest in his booking against Colby Covington. This match can really test his skills as a wrestler and cardio against another elite athlete.

If he somehow manages to find a better way for the former interim champion, nothing can stop him from facing Kamaru Usman next. The welterweight leader has hit every competitor he’s faced inside the octagon so far. Aside from a challenging title defense against Covington, Usman was in great shape.
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It will be interesting to see the Nigerian Nightmare go head-to-head against a new competitor in 2023. Without a doubt, this could well be the biggest welterweight fight the promotion has seen in the modern era.