UFC 267: ‘The Leech’ Li Jingliang vows to silence the noise around Khamzat Chimaev
- Veteran Chinese welterweight faces Russian-born Swedish sensation with an eye on top-10 ranking
- ‘Khamzat is the new star of the UFC. Everyone loves him. But I know exactly what I have to do,’ Jingliang says
Li Jingliang cocks an eyebrow when asked how he’ll deal with the phenom that is Khamzat Chimaev, when the two square off inside the Octagon at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi on October 30.
“Khamzat is the new star of the UFC and we’ve all watched his past three fights. Everyone loves him,” begins the veteran Chinese welterweight. “But I know exactly what I have to do and I will stop him.”
“The Leech” (18-6) has spent the past 15 years plying his trade inside the cage, at venues all over the Earth, so maybe by now we shouldn’t be surprised that the 33-year-old seems to take every challenge the UFC throws at him in his stride.
“Khamzat is very impressive and everyone loves him,” Li continues. “But I have 100 per cent confidence in myself. After I defeat him I can sit down with Dana White, and have a cup of Chinese tea and then we can talk about the future.”
Chechen-born Swedish sensation Chimaev (9-0) comes into the fight off a 3-0 run in the UFC that put the MMA world on notice last year, setting a record for the quickest three-fight win streak in collecting three finishes (two TKOs, one submission) in just 66 days. The 27-year-old has struggled with the after-effects of Covid-19 since contracting the virus in December, but is now fit and healthy again.