After securing a TKO victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC Seattle and capturing the No. 6 spot on the middleweight chart, Joe Pyfer has now tried to solve the Khamzat Chimaev puzzle.
Chimaev won the middleweight title last year at UFC 319 after ragdolling and controlling Dricus du Plessis for 21 minutes and 40 seconds.
The Chechen-born Emirati is now going to make the first defense of his 185-pound championship at UFC 328 and will lock horns with former training partner turned arch-rival, Sean Strickland.
Several analysts have already weighed in on this middleweight title bout. Some believe “Tarzan” won’t be easy game for the undefeated “Borz,” as the controversial American fighter has great takedown defense, superior striking, and cardio.
However, a section of the fanbase believes Chimaev will neutralize Strickland’s game with his superior grappling and wrestling, much like he did against Du Plessis.
Now Joe Pyfer has given his two cents on the same.
Joe Pyfer breaks down what Sean Strickland needs to do at UFC 328 to dethrone Khamzat Chimaev
Joe Pyfer believes Sean Strickland has to make it “chaotic” against Khamzat Chimaev and not let the middleweight champion take control of the fight in any way, whether by dictating the pace on the feet or dragging “Tarzan” to the mat and smothering him.
According to Pyfer, Strickland has to prevent getting taken down in the first ten minutes, after which a frustrated Chimaev will be easy to dethrone. During an interview with Full Mount MMA, “Bodybagz” said:
“The only thing that he [Khamzat Chimaev] is going to throw in the beginning is to set up that initial takedown. He wants to wrestle early so he could fatigue you. For the first 10 minutes of that fight, you just throw everything up in the middle and change levels with him. Or you are staying low, and you are staying grounded so that he does not get a chance to get under you. Then you have a very, very good chance of winning.”
Check out Joe Pyfer’s comments below:
Even Sean Strickland’s coach believes that to beat Khamzat Chimaev, “Tarzan” needs to master breaking Chimaev’s chain wrestling sequences, which will force the latter to stray from his game plan.