Media Stephen Thompson: Colby Covington has 'cardio for days,' would beat Khamzat Chimaev in five-round fi

[Sick85]

Stephen Thompson gives Colby Covington the edge vs. Khamzat Chimaev if they fight five rounds.

Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) and Chimaev have been linked to a bout for a while now, but neither man has been booked yet. Chimaev is interested in fighting Covingtonbut also wants a shot at newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira. But after Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) missed the welterweight limitby 7.5 pounds in his past outing at UFC 279, Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) wonders if Covington would take the fight.

“I’m not really sure if that will happen,” Thompson told Submission Radio. “I don’t think Colby wants it, obviously, and especially against a guy that hasn’t made weight. So I don’t blame him.”

With Chimaev having a hard time getting down to 170 pounds, “Wonderboy” thinks it’ll have an impact on his cardio, which he sees as an issue against a fighter like Covington.
“If it does happen, I think if it goes five-five, I think Colby’s got it if it goes in the later rounds,” Thompson said. “Just because he’s got cardio for days. And we saw the fight with Chimaev and Gilbert Burns, and Chimaev started to fatigue. And I don’t know if that’s because he did make weight, right? And he was depleted? Cause he killed himself to get down to 170.

“Will he be able to do it again? I don’t know. If he doesn’t make weight, I wouldn’t fight him. I would say no. But if it does (happen), if Chimaev wins, it’s gonna have to be early on in the rounds. But if it goes all five, definitely Colby. He’s got cardio for days, and Chimaev is just a big 170-er man. He shouldn’t even be a 170; he should be up at 185.”

 

[MillingMeSoftly]

It would make me so happy to see such a hated character drown this guy and expose him

 

[Post 2 Decision]

Khamzat would murder Colby within 3 though, so even if that is true, it wouldn't matter

 

[HuskySamoan]

Khamzat would murder Colby within 3 though, so even if that is true, it wouldn't matter

Usman is a cleaner striker than Khamzat, Khamzat's a hitter but man he looked bad standing vs Burns and in general in his pre UFC fights with the only redeeming factor being his power. We saw Khamzat gas, we saw Khamzat struggle to get takedowns and grapple effectively vs guys like Ikram and Burns. We've never seen Khamzats defensive wrestling strongly tested nor have we seen him vs a pressure fighter like Colby, let alone go 5 rounds vs a guy like that.

Maybe Khamzat wins, I want to see it.

 

[TheNinja]

I tend to agree that Colby would win in a fight.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Khamzat would murder Colby within 3 though, so even if that is true, it wouldn't matter

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Gourmet Chen Chen

 

[Striker Fox]

Past prime LW RDA won 2 rounds against Colby, and took him down 3 times. Khamzat just has to listen to his coach's gameplan this time and fight smarter instead of brawling for the KO.

 

[liljuey]

He said, she said. Who knows who wins until it happens. Colby does have pillow fists though and would probably have to go through hell to get to the champion's rounds.

 

[Striker Fox]

He's going to have Colby focused on him shooting for a TD

 

[chiefwiggum]

that’s a credit to khamzat. The Fight was insanely paced and that right hand was brutal and landed perfectly.
you don’t see all action fights like that at all and take a toll.

it’s funny people say khamzat has questionable cardio as if all 3 or 5 rounds are equal and both were tired in a fight like that like its

it’s kind of like showing a tyson fury getting dropped by wilder in the 12Th and using that against fury.

i would love to see that fight but it won’t happen. Colbys career is almost over and has never fought a top guy that is remotely near his best days other than usman and dropped both of those.
Woodley. Maia rda. Lawler. Masvidal. All almost 40 or over and on massive downslides in tgeir career.

 

[Cheatr Pan]

Usman is a cleaner striker than Khamzat, Khamzat's a hitter but man he looked bad standing vs Burns and in general in his pre UFC fights with the only redeeming factor being his power. We saw Khamzat gas, we saw Khamzat struggle to get takedowns and grapple effectively vs guys like Ikram and Burns. We've never seen Khamzats defensive wrestling strongly tested nor have we seen him vs a pressure fighter like Colby, let alone go 5 rounds vs a guy like that.

Maybe Khamzat wins, I want to see it.

Usman and Khamzat are actually similar in the standup. Both have very powerful jabs (I think both of them dropped Burns with a jab) and little to no striking defense. Colby is the same minus the power

 

[Adamant]

Both would murder Stephen.

 

[Eredin]

Burns has terrible cardio when someone pushes back against him and Khamzat showed the same against Gilbert.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Khamzat blitz Covington early for a TKO or into a guillotine off a desperate TD. but Colby drowning him is just as likely if not more.

 

[MEAN357]

Stephen Thompson gives Colby Covington the edge vs. Khamzat Chimaev if they fight five rounds.

Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) and Chimaev have been linked to a bout for a while now, but neither man has been booked yet. Chimaev is interested in fighting Covingtonbut also wants a shot at newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira. But after Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) missed the welterweight limitby 7.5 pounds in his past outing at UFC 279, Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) wonders if Covington would take the fight.

“I’m not really sure if that will happen,” Thompson told Submission Radio. “I don’t think Colby wants it, obviously, and especially against a guy that hasn’t made weight. So I don’t blame him.”

With Chimaev having a hard time getting down to 170 pounds, “Wonderboy” thinks it’ll have an impact on his cardio, which he sees as an issue against a fighter like Covington.
“If it does happen, I think if it goes five-five, I think Colby’s got it if it goes in the later rounds,” Thompson said. “Just because he’s got cardio for days. And we saw the fight with Chimaev and Gilbert Burns, and Chimaev started to fatigue. And I don’t know if that’s because he did make weight, right? And he was depleted? Cause he killed himself to get down to 170.

“Will he be able to do it again? I don’t know. If he doesn’t make weight, I wouldn’t fight him. I would say no. But if it does (happen), if Chimaev wins, it’s gonna have to be early on in the rounds. But if it goes all five, definitely Colby. He’s got cardio for days, and Chimaev is just a big 170-er man. He shouldn’t even be a 170; he should be up at 185.”
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Came here to comment but just gonna throw a shameless like for the av and bounce lol

 

[Post 2 Decision]

And Colby ducks Burns

 

[Dude Incredible]

Usman is a cleaner striker than Khamzat, Khamzat's a hitter but man he looked bad standing vs Burns and in general in his pre UFC fights with the only redeeming factor being his power. We saw Khamzat gas, we saw Khamzat struggle to get takedowns and grapple effectively vs guys like Ikram and Burns. We've never seen Khamzats defensive wrestling strongly tested nor have we seen him vs a pressure fighter like Colby, let alone go 5 rounds vs a guy like that.

Maybe Khamzat wins, I want to see it.

good stuff. cheers.

 

[Striker Fox]

Headbutt and illegal elbows to the back of the head and Burns still got put on his back. Khamzat is a monster.

 

[ilfirin]

rofl, he'd get mauled within 3 rounds.

 

[Saye_mc]

Wonderboy spitting straight fax