Jorge Masvidal vs. Khamzat Chimaev Sparks Weird Reaction From Din Thomas, Dustin Poirier and Chris Weidman

With the matchup now off, one question remains: how would the two have fared against each other on the mats?  Din Thomas, Chris Weidman, and Dustin Poirier have some rather interesting answers.

Would Jorge Masvidal Have Stood a Chance Against Khamzat Chimaev?

Khamzat Chimaev was all set to test his grappling skills against former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal at the ALF League on Dec. 4 However, the UFC seemingly had other plans and pulled the plug on the matchup, as Din Thomas revealed.

Still, Thomas, Chris Weidman, and Dustin Poirier believe Masvidal could have given the former middleweight champion a serious challenge.

"I think that a submission grappling match was a lot more favorable for Jorge in that situation,” said Din Thomas, echoing the concerns surrounding the unusual matchup. With a considerable difference in weight classes, Thomas felt the bout was an odd proposition in the first place, likely driven by the sheer star power of both fighters. Nevertheless, he believed Masvidal could have given Chimaev a tough fight on the grappling mats.

Interestingly, Dustin Poirier echoed Thomas's assessment, throwing his support behind Masvidal's grappling credentials. Having trained alongside him for years, Poirier insisted that Masvidal's jiu-jitsu was often overlooked, despite rarely being on display inside the Octagon.

“Jorge’s jiu-jitsu is underrated. You know, I trained with him for years. He has good jiu-jitsu. Yeah. He doesn't use it a lot in his fights, but he has it.”

Sizing Up Jorge Masvidal

Many have known Jorge Masvidal primarily as a striker, but that doesn't mean he lacks an impressive grappling résumé. The former BMF champion has spent years training at American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he regularly worked alongside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belts and experienced grapplers.

Back in 2011, in an interview with LowKick MMA, Masvidal revealed that ATT had around 15 BJJ black belts, highlighting the calibre of grappling partners available at the gym. That's not all. His résumé also includes some notable grappling victories, including catching Michael Chiesa with a D'Arce choke at UFC on FOX 8 in July 2013.

While Masvidal was primarily recognised for his striking, his extensive exposure to high-level grappling helps put Dustin Poirier's assessment of his underrated jiu-jitsu into perspective.

However, despite his impressive résumé, Chris Weidman did express that taking down Chimaev is not everyone's cup of tea.

"Chimaev is a dog. I know. I know. He's a dog, you know? Like, he's taking guys down. He's going so fast into submissions, like he's going to those darce chokes and those anacondas like an animal. So it would be tough. It would definitely be tough early on, and he's big. He's way big. He's a big boy,” said Weidman.  

Deep Waters Crew Concedes Chimaev Would Have Been Better Fighter

The trio later admitted that Jorge Masvidal would have had his hands full against Chimaev. However, they also believed he could have pulled off the upset if he managed to wear the Chechen fighter down. Unfortunately, the matchup isn't happening anytime soon, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.