FILE — MMA fighter Chris Weidman attends the 2020 Professional Bull Riders Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden Madison Square Garden on January 4, 2020 in New York City. Cindy Ord/Getty Images/AFP
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman says he’s ready to take on the fast-rising Swede Khamzat Chimaev.
Chimaev (9-0) has been looking for a challenger since he destroyed Gerald Meerschaert at Las Vegas on Sept. 19. The 26-year-old knocked out Meerschaert with one punch in just 17 seconds.
“This guy Chimeav (sic) needs some humbling would love to do that. January I’m in! @ufc make this happen,” Weidman wrote on Twitter.
This guy Chimeav needs some humbling would love to do that. January I'm in! @ufc make this happen.
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) October 16, 2020
Weidman (15-5) didn’t have to wait long before Chimaev, who has notched three wins in two weight classes in the span of just 66 days, responded to his post. Chimaev not only accepted but chastised Weidman, 36, for suggesting a fight three months from now.
“Whenever you want, I will smash you,” Chimaev wrote. “I don’t understand why you need so long time? If you are a fighter, you must always be ready.”
Last week, Chimaev claimed in a Twitter post that Weidman was one of several fighters who is ducking him. The Swede also called out Stephen Thompson, known as “Wonderboy.”
“I just want to let my fans know and the people who support me the UFC offer me wonder boy and he turned it down at 170 and also Chris Weidman at 185 who also turned it down. I’m coming for everyone,” Chimaev wrote.
UFC president Dana White told media recently that Weidman was indeed in the running to be Chimaev’s next opponent.
“Chris Weidman is one of the guys we were talking to,” White said in video posted by MMA Fighting. “We’re trying to get him (Chimaev). He wants to fight. You know him. If we can get him a fight in December, he’ll fight then and probably fight in January, too, which will (tick) everybody off again.”
Weidman last fought Aug. 8, defeating Russian Omari Akhmedov in a unanimous decision. It was his first victory since July 2017. Weidman has gone 2-5 in his past seven outings.