“In the fight between Chimaev and Usman I wanted to see some kind of trash – a hack and a waste” – Matmuratov

Russian fighter ASA Alexander Matmuratov in a conversation with , he admitted that he expected more spectacle in the fight between a fighter of Chechen origin representing the United Arab Emirates Khamzat Chimaev and Nigerian Kamaru Usman .

On Saturday, Chimaev defeated Usman by decision at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Former UFC welterweight champion Usman entered the fight on short notice. It was previously announced that the winner of this encounter would fight American UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

— Before the fight, there was a lot of intrigue, which continued until the end of the fight. Chimaev got up very well, took his back and controlled the whole round. Although it seemed to me that when he took his back, the fight would end – Chimaev would score or choke. But Usman was a champion for a reason, he has great defense and was able to endure. And in the second and third rounds he started working, although there were few strikes. Additionally, it was clear that Chimaev had slumped functionally after the first round. Maybe my arms and legs were numb after that first round.

Like all viewers, I wish there was some sort of trash in this fight – hacks, chaos, but everything was so neat. I understand perfectly what Khamzat’s responsibility was. He now competes for the United Arab Emirates and has fought at home. Nevertheless, Chimaev won. And there is no doubt about it. He is great! It turned out to be a tough fight for him. On the other hand, maybe it would be good that he walked the whole distance – he caught his breath. And it’s an experience,” Matmuratov told .

Team “Rat” fighter Matmuratov will meet his compatriot Yusuf Raisov on November 3 at the ASA 165 tournament in St. Petersburg. All ACA tournaments are broadcast live on the channel.