Did the UFC encourage Khamzat Chimaev to come in heavy for his previously scheduled scrap with Nate Diaz at UFC 279?
On Saturday night, Chimaev will make his return to the Octagon more than a year removed from his last outing. Stepping into the co-main event spotlight in Abu Dhabi, the undefeated Chechen monster will face the toughest test of his career thus far when he meets former welterweight world champion Kamaru Usman.
Usman’s injection into the co-headliner came just 10 days before fight night after Chimaev’s original opponent, Paulo Costa, was not medically cleared due to an infection in his elbow.