Supporting Gilbert Durinho, Michel Pereira minimizes Khamzat Chimaev's 'hype'

G. Durinho (left) and K. Chimaev (right) face each other in the UFC 273. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS montage

The long-awaited fight between Gilbert Durinho e Khamzat Shimaev It already touches the imagination of MMA fans and fighters. In an interview with ‘MMA Fighting’, the Brazilian Michael Pereira minimized the Swedish athlete's 'hype' and said that he had never faced a rival of his compatriot's level.

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“I don't think he's this monster that people have created. Let's see the real Chimaev in the fight against Durinho. That's when we'll see who the real Chimaev is. But us fighters kind of see who's who a little bit. He may surprise, but he's not that much better than Durinho. Chimaev is good, but he hasn't faced the best competition yet. I want to see if he is that man against Durinho. But I don’t see all this danger that people talk about”, said Michel.

Gilbert Durinho e Khamzat Shimaev will be responsible for opening the main card of the UFC 273, scheduled for April 9th. The duel will be valid in the welterweight division (up to 77,1kg), a category in which the Brazilian has already been a challenger for the belt. The show will be held at the  VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, in Jacksonville, Florida (USA).