Khamzat Chimaev has made a bold prediction for UFC 291. The undefeated welterweight contender believes that Paulo Costa will get knocked out by Ikram Aliskerov in their upcoming fight.
Khamzat Chimaev: Paulo Costa is ‘sh*t,’ will lose to Ikram Aliskerov at #UFC291 https://t.co/CP0N4t1m90
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 26, 2023
Chimaev made his prediction on his YouTube channel. He said that Costa is “not the same fighter” that he was when he first came into the UFC, and that Aliskerov will be too much for him.
“Costa is not the same fighter,” Chimaev said. “He’s not the same guy. He’s not the same animal. He’s not the same beast. He’s not the same guy who fought Yoel Romero. He’s not the same guy who fought Israel Adesanya. He’s not the same guy.
“I think Ikram Aliskerov is going to smash him. I think he’s going to knock him out. I think he’s going to finish him. I think he’s going to make him look like a fool.”
Costa has not fought since beating to Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in August 2022. He has been dealing with a number of injuries, including a herniated disc and a broken foot.
Aliskerov is coming off a first-round knockout win over Phil Hawes at UFC 291. He is 14-1 in his professional career with his lone loss coming against the aforementioned Khamzat Chimaev.
UFC 291 takes place on July 29, 2023, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The main event features a lightweight rematch fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje for the vacant BMF title.
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