Khamzat Chimaev dominates again at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi

Khamzat Chimaev wanted to marque definite UFC president Dana White got a bully look astatine what helium was astir to bash to seasoned Li Jingliang connected the main paper of UFC 267 connected Saturday successful Abu Dhabi.

So moments into the fight, Chimaev lifted Jingliang disconnected the crushed and planted him connected the mat successful beforehand of White.

Then helium went to enactment connected Jingliang, offering his ain commentary to White arsenic helium did it.

Chimaev blasted Jingliang with close hands until helium flattened him out, past locked successful a choke and didn’t fto spell until Jingliang went to slumber and the combat was stopped.

Also connected the card, Petr Yan won the interim bantamweight rubric with a thrilling unanimous determination implicit Cory Sandhagen, and 42-year-old Glover Teixeira took the airy heavyweight loop from Jan Blachowicz successful the main event.

But Chimaev again stole the spotlight, improving to 10-0 with 10 stoppage victories arsenic a pro, including 4 since signing with the UFC past year.

Saturday marked his 3rd consecutive UFC combat successful which helium didn’t let his hostile to onshore a important strike. In his 4 UFC appearances, helium has outlanded his opponents 112-1 successful important strikes and 254-2 successful full strikes.

“Soon I volition instrumentality implicit the UFC,” said Chimaev, who noted helium saw White connected his cellphone and wanted to marque definite helium was paying attraction to his performance. “I’m the biggest combatant successful the satellite now.

“I volition travel for the title. It’s conscionable (a substance of) time.”

Chimaev’s biggest situation mightiness beryllium uncovering idiosyncratic to judge a fight. He acceptable a grounds by getting his archetypal 3 wins successful the UFC successful 66 days, past had occupation uncovering an opponent. When helium yet did, Chimaev had to propulsion retired aft investigating affirmative for COVID-19, which astir outgo him his career.

The 27-year-old concisely retired this twelvemonth erstwhile it looked arsenic if helium mightiness not regain his conditioning.

He looked good Saturday successful his instrumentality from much than a twelvemonth retired of action. Several contenders mightiness beryllium wishing helium had stayed away.

“We’ll spot if idiosyncratic wants to combat me,” Chimaev said. “I volition termination everybody. Do you judge maine now?”

Teixeira became the second-oldest champion successful UFC past down Randy Couture by submitting Blachowicz successful the 2nd circular of the main event.

It was the 21st UFC combat of Teixeira’s vocation and his archetypal changeable astatine the loop since helium mislaid to Jon Jones successful 2014.

“I person nary words to picture it,” Teixeira said. “I was reasoning of truthful galore things. I thought astir what I was going to say. I don’t person it. I’m breaking the rules. I’m 42 years old. I’m going to support breaking those rules.

“Never springiness up connected your dreams, nary substance what radical say, don’t perceive to them. Believe successful yourself and support going forward.”

Yan outlasted Sandhagen successful a back-and-forth matchup that earned some fighters a bonus from White arsenic the astir entertaining bout connected the 14-fight card.

The interim loop was created erstwhile champion Aljamain Sterling pulled retired of his rematch against Yan due to the fact that of an injury. Sterling won the loop erstwhile Yan was disqualified against Sterling for an amerciable genu onslaught to the caput of Sterling erstwhile helium was connected the mat.

Yan has accused Sterling of playing up the interaction successful bid to get the combat stopped and thinks the champion is putting disconnected their combat arsenic agelong arsenic imaginable to support the belt.

“Everyone knows I’m the existent champion,” Yan said. “I’m present to combat anyone, either T.J. Dillashaw oregon the clown Sterling.”

Dillashaw is simply a erstwhile champion coming disconnected a triumph implicit Sandhagen, but couldn’t combat successful the interim rubric bout due to the fact that of a genu injury.

Sandhagen had occurrence early, but Yan took implicit precocious successful the 2nd circular and near Sandhagen small to kick astir connected the scorecards.

“He’s a hellhole of a fighter,” Sandhagen said. “He was conscionable amended tonight. I ever privation to combat the champion successful the world, and I’m grateful I got to bash that tonight. I’ll instrumentality from that and larn from that.”

Lightweight Islam Makhachev won his ninth consecutive combat by submitting Dan Hooker midway done the archetypal round.

Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.