Perhaps the most emphatic victory in this timeframe was Chimaev’s stunning 17-second knockout over then-44-fight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.<\/p>\n
Max Holloway shares unfortunate update after UFC 318 David Yeazell-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Chimaev’s 2020 fight against Meerschaert in the UFC APEX was meant to serve as his first legitimate Octagon test. ‘M3’ fought the who’s-who of men’s middleweight, and was the first name-value fighter Chimaev met in the cage.<\/p>\n He’d pass with flying colors, stalking Meerschaert to the Octagon side and landing a picture-perfect right cross down the pipe. Meerschaert collapsed, and some follow-up shots secured the KO win inside 17 seconds.<\/p>\n Two years ago today, Khamzat Chimaev KO’s Gerald Meerschaert 17 seconds into the first roundhttps:\/\/t.co\/tnfCockJGb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) September 19, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n Five years after his UFC debut, Chimaev gets his first title opportunity at UFC 319. A plethora of injuries and other issues have kept him outside the cage, but he maintains an undefeated 14-0 record. Chimaev last fought Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, where he flattened ‘The Reaper’s’ teeth with a face crank inside one round.<\/p>\n Defending his middleweight belt against Chimaev is Dricus du Plessis, a dynamic striker with an underrated grappling pedigree. It makes for one of the most interesting stylistic championship fights in recent memory.<\/p>\n UFC 319 takes place on Saturday, August 16. Does Chimaev have what it takes to etch his name into the annals of UFC history?<\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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