UFC star Khamzat Chimaev is proving to be the next Floyd Mayweather of MMA in more ways than one

• Khamzat Chimaev may well become another Floyd Mayweather of mixed martial arts.
• The 27-year-old fighter has an extraordinary plus-minus ratio, and is becoming must-see TV.

ABU DHABI - UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev is already proving to be the Floyd Mayweather Jr. of mixed martial arts.

Chimaev remains undefeated like Mayweather always was, possesses an extraordinary plus-minus ratio, and even engages people ringside in conversation while he dominates opponents at will.

When Chimaev's countryman Khabib Nurmagomedov was at the peak of his powers, the smothering Dagestan wrestler frequently proclaimed to be the Mayweather of his sport.

His comparison wasn't too far fetched when considering his unbeaten status and the fact he inflicted maximum damage while absorbing a minimal amount of it in return.

Chimaev, though, may be an even greater example of Mayweather-esque finesse.

Mastering the plus-minus ratio

Mayweather retired from pro boxing in 2017 with a record of 50 wins (27 knockouts) against no defeats or draws.

His resume reads like a who's who of modern day greats. He outclassed Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Saul Alvarez, and Manny Pacquiao along the way.

Few boxers in history exhibited the "hit-and-don't-get-hit" mentality as well as Mayweather did, as the American boxer - a five-weight world champion - retired with a plus-minus ratio of +23.8.

This figure is calculated by taking the percentage of punches a fighter lands, and subtracting the percentage of punches they are hit with.

As Mayweather's ratio is so high, it shows he regularly out-landed his opponents in the ring.

Chimaev has only been hit twice in four UFC matches

Chimaev is yet to build anywhere near as complete a resume as Mayweather boasted in boxing, but the 27-year-old is undefeated in 10 pro MMA bouts, and has won all four of his UFC matches in ruthless fashion.

Earlier this year, the Swedish-Chechen grappler tested positive for the coronavirus, began coughing up blood, and had a case of COVID-19 so severe that he thought he "might die."

Chimaev returned to the Octagon for the UFC 267 event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 30.

Any concerns long COVID could derail Chimaev's ascent toward a UFC title shot were swiftly put aside. His performance against No.11-ranked 170-pounder Li Jingliang was flawless.

Against Jingliang, Chimaev landed 58 of his 62 total strikes for a 94% accuracy rate, according to UFC data.

Further, all 25 of his 25 significant shots connected. Jingliang, in comparison, attempted one shot. It missed.

In his four UFC matches to date, Chimaev has landed 254 of his 306 total shots (83%), with 112 of 145 (77%) deemed significant by statisticians.

It represents an extraordinary amount of damage inflicted. But what is perhaps more impressive is his defensive record. Chimaev has only been struck twice from five shots (40%) attempted by four different opponents in the UFC.

Only one of those opponents actually hit Chimaev, and he managed to do it twice - but only one shot of four was deemed significant by statisticians.

Using the same metric as the one used to judge Mayweather - percentage of shots landed minus percentage of shots taken - Chimaev has a ratio of +43.

Both made their speciality exciting

The most TV-friendly fighting styles tend to be those which feature athletes who can put their punches in bunches, all-out brawlers, or people with a penchant for one-punch knockouts.

Mayweather bucked this trend when he became boxing's most successful fighter at the box office while relying, in the second-half of his career, on defensive mastery.

A perfection of the sweet science, in combination with his personality and ability to sell a fight, elevated him to Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali levels when it came to name value.

While no MMA fighter can compare yet to those names, Chimaev is accomplishing something similarly rare.

MMA striking can be naturally exciting for the casual sports fans to see in the Octagon, but ground-based fighting disciplines like jiu jitsu or wrestling have the potential to bore those who do not understand what they are seeing.

Chimaev makes wrestling incredibly exciting for the layperson. Rather than shoot for a takedown to drag an opponent to the ground, he lifts fighters off of the floor, carries them across the cage, and tries to splatter them on the canvas.

The noise this impact can generate rouses those who see it live in the arena, which can impact the way in which it is viewed at home on TV.

From there, Chimaev just wails shot after shot until his opponent is either concussed, or he maneuvers them into a position where he can apply a rear-naked choke, and then squeezes until they pass out.

Chimaev yelled at Dana White throughout his latest win

Throughout Chimaev's latest win at UFC 267, he seemed to yell at and berate the UFC boss Dana White while ruthlessly bludgeoning Jingliang.

He picked Jingliang up and carried him to the side of the fence White was sitting, told the UFC president that he's going to kill his entire roster, and even, at one point, told him off for apparently being on his phone.

"I don't know why, but basically just saying: 'I'm going to fight everybody, I'll fight Brock Lesnar, I don't care who it is.' He was just yelling stuff like that," White said at a post-fight press conference Insider attended in Abu Dhabi.

Having a conversation with somebody close to the action, while he puts on a winning performance, is something Mayweather has done, too.

During Mayweather's routine victory over Henry Bruseles in Miami, 16 years ago, the HBO commentary team began talking about an upcoming NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. The winner would advance to the Super Bowl XXXIX.

Veteran broadcaster Jim Lampley asked former world champion boxer Roy Jones Jr. if "he liked the Steelers or the Patriots" in that match.

Jones replied that he "liked the Patriots" but had been a Steelers fan.

While boxing in the ring, Mayweather could be heard shouting: "The Patriots."

Chimaev's rise is must-see TV

Mayweather's career was one of the greatest things a modern day fight fan could have witnessed, and he continues to have a significant impact on boxing through his fight club, Mayweather Boxing Gym, and talent agency, Mayweather Promotions.

It is not long since Chimaev began his combat sports career, but what he has shown so far - the plus-minus ratio, the ability to make something exciting that might have previously been perceived as dull, and engaging people at ringside while he puts on a winning performance - demonstrates Mayweather-esque qualities that can excite the box office.

Chimaev is also growing more comfortable on the microphone, talking about taking hearts, eating his opponents, and calling out a variety of big-name fighters like Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, and Colby Covington, who he called "stupid American bullshit boy."

Some will watch Chimaev because they like him, others will tune in because they don't and want to see him lose.

Neither he nor the UFC will care too much about the reason - providing everyone's watching. Some may not be watching right now but, before long, everybody will.