Joe Rogan has stated that Kamaru Usman could have posed serious problems for Khamzat Chimaev with a full training camp and a five-round fight. Rogan noted that Usman accepted the fight on short notice at middleweight and was winning the third round before ultimately losing. The podcast host believes a properly prepared Usman in a championship-length bout would have made for a very interesting fight. Rogan's analysis suggests the circumstances of their actual meeting significantly favored Chimaev. His comments highlight the debate over how competitive the fight might have been under different conditions.
UFC commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan has weighed in on the matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman, arguing that the circumstances of their fight heavily favored Chimaev and that a fully prepared Usman in a championship-length contest would have made for a far more competitive bout.
Rogan pointed out that Usman accepted the fight on short notice and at middleweight, a division above his natural home at welterweight. Despite those disadvantages, Usman was reportedly winning the third round before the fight turned against him. Rogan's position is that a five-round fight with a complete training camp could have produced a very different result.
Chimaev, who fights out of Allstars Training Center and represents the United Arab Emirates, is ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old carries a 15-1-0 record and brings elite wrestling to go alongside his striking, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 60 percent of his significant strikes — one of the higher accuracy figures in the sport.
Usman, known as "The Nigerian Nightmare," holds a 21-4-0 record and is currently ranked eighth in the welterweight division. The 39-year-old American fights out of Kill Cliff FC and is a high-output striker in his own right, landing 4.36 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach that gives him a genuine physical presence in any matchup.
Why it matters
- Usman took the fight on short notice and above his natural weight class, raising legitimate questions about the conditions of the contest.
- A five-round format would have amplified Usman's wrestling and volume striking over championship distance.
- The debate touches on divisional crossover and how much weight cuts and camp preparation influence outcomes at the elite level.
