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According to PUNCH Sports Extra, former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman faced his third consecutive defeat in the UFC, losing to the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight bout at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Chimaev extended his perfect record to 13-0 with a majority decision victory over Usman at UFC 294.

Chimaev wasted no time in going on the offensive in the fight, immediately attempting a single-leg takedown. While Usman initially defended well, Chimaev persisted and managed to take Usman to the mat.

Once on the ground, Chimaev controlled the majority of the round, spending most of the time on Usman’s back and threatening with submission attempts.

The pace of the fight slowed in the second round, with Chimaev opting for a slower kickboxing match rather than pushing for wrestling. He did secure a takedown in the final 30 seconds of the round but didn’t capitalize on it.

This set the stage for an intriguing third and final round. Usman had a strong start, controlling the distance and landing effective boxing strikes. However, his momentum was halted when Chimaev changed levels and executed a double-leg takedown.

Usman managed to get back to his feet in the last 30 seconds of the round, where both fighters made their final efforts to sway the decision in their favor.

Usman is now on a three-fight losing streak, with two of those losses coming against Leon Edwards. However, it’s worth noting that he had previously achieved five consecutive title defenses in the welterweight division.

Chimaev was originally set to face Paulo Costa, but Costa withdrew from the fight due to an elbow injury. Usman accepted the fight on just 10 days’ notice and had to move up in weight for the bout.

With a victory over the former champion, Chimaev is likely to earn a shot at UFC gold. Dana White recently confirmed this in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, stating, “That is an absolute fact. The fact that these guys are taking this fight on short notice, (the winner) will get the next shot at the title barring injuries and other things that can possibly happen.”

The middleweight division has seen a shift in dynamics recently with Israel Adesanya’s upset loss to Sean Strickland. Adesanya had been the dominant champion, except for a loss to Alex Pereira, but the landscape of the division has now changed. Strickland’s next challenge appears to be the formidable Chimaev.