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Tag: Khamzat Chimaev

  • Sonnen: Shame On UFC Welterweights For Being Scared Of Chimaev

    Chael Sonnen has his opinion on the UFC welterweights who turn down a fight with Khamzat Chimaev.

    Up and coming star Khamzat Chimaev has been quickly rising up the UFC welterweight ranks. He is looking for a fight with any possible top opponent. He has been calling them out on social media but has not gotten much response. Chael Sonnen has his ideas about the nature of the fight business and feels that perhaps Chimaev’s reputation is what’s keeping opponents from running to the cage against him.

    “There’s a lot of ways to beat a guy, but if you can do it psychologically and you never have to get out there,” Sonnen explained on his Beyond the Fight show. “Dan Henderson had a great line one time, which is Dan was in a bar with somebody, and the guy said, ‘Hey, Dan. If I get in some trouble, you know, will you walk over there, beat this guy down for me?’ And Dan simply said, ‘Why do I need to beat him down when I can stare him down?’ And that rule of life doesn’t go away.”

    Sonnen may be implying that Chimaev’s last few performances have been scaring away his opponents. Since coming to the UFC he has had four fights, all of which were finishes, two KO’s, and two submissions. In just one year, he has risen to number 11 in the rankings. Now, he is trying to call out opponents in the top five, which may be why he is not getting a response, however, Sonnen thinks he is doing the right thing.

    “You can stare a guy down, and he backs down; it is the art of war because the great generals never fire a shot,” Sonnen said. “They don’t need to. They align their troops and make the other people retreat. And if Chimaev is successfully doing that – If less than 20 minutes of action, three double-legs, a rear-naked choke, and a left hook – If that’s going to scare an entire division away in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, then shame on them. Fair play by Chimaev.”

    Sonnen was a big trash talker in his fighting days. He could almost defeat opponents before even facing them by getting in their heads. If he feels Chimaev is planning a similar sort of game plan, then he could be sitting on the sidelines for some time. However, in this day and age, money talks, and maybe the UFC will have to pay up to get a top welterweight to step in against “Borz.”

    Who do you want to see take on Khamzat Chimaev next?

  • Dana White Reacts To Nate Diaz Rejecting Khamzat Chimaev Fight

    Dana White has reacted to Nate Diaz publicly rejecting a fight against undefeated rising star Khamzat Chimaev.

    After Khamzat Chimaev advanced his professional record to 10-0 at UFC 267 by manhandling Li Jingliang, White and Borz both set their sights on Nate Diaz as his next opponent. There’s just one problem, Diaz wanted nothing to do with it.

    This, according to the Stockton bad boy himself, is due to the fact that Chimaev only has four fights in the UFC and is a “rookie.” Therefore, the suggestion that Diaz, an established veteran of the game, should fight him was considered “disrespectful” by the Californian.

    TMZ caught up with Dana White this weekend and asked the UFC President to comment on Diaz’s remarks. Here’s what he had to say.

    “Listen, man. Khamzat is a straight murderer. He’s a killer. He’s an absolute savage. And I don’t blame anybody for not wanting to fight Khamzat Chimaev,” White said.

    White was then pressed to respond directly to Nate Diaz’s reasoning and if he thought Chimaev’s “rookie” status is the legitimate reason why Diaz is uninterested in the fight. White could not stifle the urge to smile throughout the entirety of the following response.

    “What do you think? What do you think? [SMILE GROWS WIDER] Listen, everybody in this business, everybody in this company is here because they belong here. There are no real ‘rookies’ per se here. There are guys with more experience and some guys with some less experience.

    Khamzat Chimaev
    Khamzat Chimaev (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa)

    “Khamzat Chimaev is one of those guys that’s willing to fight anybody in multiple weight classes on short notice. He’s doing wrestling matches. If it’s a fight, he’s in, and he wants to fight you. And that’s the reality. I mean, people can spin Khamzat however they want to and I don’t blame ’em.”

    Dana White has recently shared how difficult it has been to get Chimaev booked in a fight, stating that no one in the welterweight division wants to fight him. There have been reports of a potential pairing of Chimaev and Burns, and Burns himself said he’d be open to that fight, but there has been zero traction on that bout ever since the initial report.

    Why do you think Nate Diaz does not want to fight Khamzat Chimaev? Because it’s “disrespectful” or because he simply wants no part of Borz?

  • McGregor Says He’ll Fight Khamzat Chimaev If “B*tch” Nate Diaz Won’t

    Conor McGregor has implied that he’d have “no problem” fighting Khamzat Chimaev if Nate Diaz won’t.

    Khamzat Chimaev has been on a call-out rampage ever since smeshing Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October. The man has even called out Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre for crying out loud. However, there is one call-out of a legendary fighter that was as realistic as it gets, Nate Diaz.

    While that pairing was dismissed by some critics, the very fact that Dana White endorsed the idea shows that it was only one piece away from being complete. That piece, of course, was Nate Diaz himself, who emphatically rejected the fight this week.

    Following Diaz’s rejection, Chimaev mocked both Nate and his older brother Nick, and now Nate Diaz has decided to help Borz out and play matchmaker for him as well as an old rival:

    “Let him fight kamrat that be a great fight to make He needs a easy new guy to fight anyway he can taper back in and see if he can even still fight at all Great idea Nate Thanks.”

    Plot Twist: McGregor Approves Nate Diaz’s Matchmaking Idea

    Full transcript Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Toronto press conference, boxing

    Within the hour of Nate Diaz’s matchmaking proposal, Conor McGregor would respond, implying that he’d have no problem taking on Borz even though Diaz wouldn’t.

    https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1466921243416879111

    “No problem, bitch” McGregor posted in response to Diaz.

    Diaz would then hit back immediately after McGregor’s snappy reply.

    “Good job do what ur told BITCH”

    McGregor would then respond referencing a line used against Diaz in an old exchange between the two, where McGregor requested Diaz go fetch him his coffee.

    https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1466927306199470083

    “Two sugars,” said McGregor.

    It should come as no surprise that Conor McGregor was among the plethora of names that Borz has called out in recent weeks. To be precise, he proposed that they make a “big drama show.”

    Should McGregor’s Twitter acceptance actually take fruit in a McGregor/Chimaev booking, then a drama show is what we would have indeed: on Twitter, in the press conference, and certainly in the climactic Octagon finale.

    Do you think Conor McGregor is really down to fight Khamzat Chimaev?

  • Khamzat Chimaev Mocks Diaz Brothers After Nate Publicly Rejects Fight

    Khamzat Chimaev is questioning the Diaz brothers’ gangster.

    Khamzat Chimaev has reacted swiftly to Nate Diaz’s public rejection of a bout between the two. Chimaev is on pace to setting UFC call-out records, if they haven’t already been broken. Among the names Borz has wanted to smesh are both of the Diaz brothers.

    Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz
    Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz

    Earlier this year, Chimaev challenged Nick Diaz to a fight prior to Diaz’s eventual return to the Octagon. And more recently, he has been hounding the younger Diaz brother, Nate, for a fight, even bringing an AK into the conversation. Chimaev was particularly emboldened for his Nate Diaz callouts after receiving the backing of UFC President Dana White.

    Nonetheless, Nate Diaz publicly rejected the fight on Thursday, stating that Chimaev is a rookie with only four fights. Accordingly, the mere suggestion of him fighting Chimaev was disrespectful and that Borz should not speak his name.

    Borz Continues To Speak Both Diaz Brothers’ Name

    Khamzat Chimaev
    Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

    Immediately after Diaz’s rejection, Chimaev took to his home away from home, Twitterland, to let his thoughts on the matter be known. The common theme to be found in the tweets below: Borz is not a believer of the Diaz brothers’ gangster reputation.

    “you are the easiest money for me thin @NateDiaz209“

    “say hello to your older brother, tell him not to be afraid of me, I don’t beat old people, he knows what I mean, in Vegas I just wanted to say hello well, poor man ran away @NateDiaz209.”

    Chimaev would also share the following animation. This could very well be directed at the entire UFC welterweight division, which Dana White himself claims wants no part of Borz.

    Khamzat Chimaev’s latest smeshing took place at UFC 267 in a swift, showboating domination of Li Jingliang. Since then, there have been reports of Chimaev being in talks to face the #2-ranked Gilbert Burns.

    However, based on Chimaev’s incessant callouts and the shared frustrations between himself and Dana White, there is legitimate doubt on how far such talks have progressed.

    Do you think Nate Diaz is showing a lack of ‘gangster’ by turning down Khamzat Chimaev’s challenge?

  • Nate Diaz Denies Khamzat Chimaev Fight: ‘Don’t Disrespect Me Like That’

    Nate Diaz says that he is not going to be fighting Khamzat Chimaev.

    Diaz is on the last fight of his UFC contract and has been looking for a big fight to fill that position after having lost a decision to Leon Edwards in June. The UFC has had someone specific in mind, namely rising red hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev, which has caused mixed reactions from fans.

    However, Diaz has been outspoken about his lack of desire to take that fight and spoke out about it once again while speaking with TMZ. Here, he explained that he felt it disrespectful for the UFC to offer him a fight against someone who has only had four fights in the UFC and that he instead wants someone in the top ten of either lightweight or welterweight.

    “I’m trying to fight somebody in the UFC, like ASAP, but nobody don’t want to fight. I’ve been trying to get busy for a minute… Anybody in the top ten I’ve been trying to fight, you know, in any weight division, whoever want it. But they all want to keep their mouth shut, ’cause they’re all scared,” Diaz said.

    “They’re coming at me with (Chimaev), and I’m like, don’t disrespect me like that. You’re going to try to offer me a rookie? I’m cool. You got four fights in the UFC, don’t even talk my name. Definitely do not even talk. Fight the newer guys in the UFC… There’s levels to this, and I don’t even want to here his name.”

    That said, Nate Diaz did have someone in mind that Khamzat Chimaev could fight instead. He offered his teammate, undefeated Nick Maximov, who made his successful UFC debut at UFC 266 in September.

    “Hey Khamzat, if you’re in there, don’t be a bitch. My boy’s right here (Maximov), fight him. Quit talking my name. And anybody in the higher level, even playing along with this Khamzat shit, you’re a bitch, too. Taking that shit.

    “You’re a new rookie. Deal with new people. Don’t be talking my name.”

    Nate Diaz ended the interview by saying that he hopes to be back in action at UFC 270, which takes place in his home state of California. It will be interesting to see if that comes together since he does not appear interested in being a part of the Khamzat Chimaev hype train.

    Watch the full interview below:

  • Dana White: Nobody Wants To Fight Khamzat Chimaev

    UFC President Dana White has described surging welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev as one of the “baddest dudes” he’s come across, and claimed nobody wants to face him inside the Octagon.

    Not many fighters have transcended from relative obscurity to the brink of stardom in a more impressive and rapid way than Chimaev. In four UFC outings, “Borz” has built a reputation as an always-game, destructive, and dominant athlete, who is seemingly already inches away from a title shot.

    After winning his opening three fights on MMA’s biggest stage against John Phillips, Rhys McKee, and Gerald Meerschaert within the space of 66 days, Chimaev found himself sidelined for over a year due to a tough battle with COVID-19. But when he returned at UFC 267, the Chechen-born Swede picked right back up from where he left off.

    Maintaining his 100% finishing record in the UFC, Chimaev submitted ranked contender Li Jingliang inside the opening frame. After choking “The Leech” unconscious in Abu Dhabi, the undefeated 27-year-old it made it clear he was ready to “smash” anyone and everyone.

    Chimaev’s Next Challenge

    Having jumped back onto the welterweight ladder in emphatic fashion, talk has turned to who Chimaev could face next. While some have called for him to be elevated to the top to face Kamaru Usman, Dana White suggested he needs “one or two” more victories over top contenders before competing for the title.

    During a recent appearance on the Jim Rome Podcast, the UFC kingpin said that while no opponent has been made official, they’re hoping to confirm Chimaev’s next matchup soon.

    “Khamzat Chimaev is one of the baddest dudes that I’ve ever come across. He is literally willing to fight anyone and doesn’t care what the timeframe is or any of that stuff… We’re working on (getting his next fight booked). Hopefully this week we’ll have an opponent for him.”

    However, finding that foe is seemingly proving to be a tough task. White suggested that, understandably, not many are throwing their name into the hat to be matched up with the wrestling brute. That’s despite what some contenders may say on Twitter and Instagram.

    “Nobody wants to fight this guy. Everybody wants to get out on social media and say this or that. But when it really comes down to it, nobody is trying to fight Khamzat Chimaev. I don’t blame them.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWdrtf6M2Fm/

    Despite initially confirming he was 100% down to organize Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz, the radio silence on that booking seems to suggest the Stockton native will face another name for the final fight of his UFC contract.

    Attention has since turned to a potential clash with former title challenger and top-five welterweight Gilbert Burns. Last month, it was revealed that the UFC was targeting a clash between “Durinho” and “Borz” for January. While there’s yet to be any official word or update on the matter, Chimaev recently suggested the ball is in the court of the Brazilian’s manager Ali Abdelaziz.

    With Daniel Cormier, Leon Edwards, and even Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre recently in the firing line, it’s anyone’s guess who Chimaev will call out next…

    Who would you like to see Khamzat Chimaev enter the Octagon with next?

  • Chimaev: MMA May Put Me In ‘A Mental Hospital’ Like Ferguson Or Tyson

    There are plenty of cautionary tales in combat sports, but Khamzat Chimaev is being careful not to be one of them.

    Chimaev has set the MMA world on fire with the utter dominance shown in his UFC career thus far. The undefeated Chechen prospect has burnt through his first four opponents in the promotion, only absorbing a combined total of two strikes across the bouts.

    However, Chimaev knows that this might not last forever and that combat sports is a fickle mistress that may deliver fame and fortune but can take your soul in the process.

    When asked in a recent interview with Hustle MMA about former boxing champion Mike Tyson, who has had notorious blotches on his life story, Chimaev said that he was a fan of Tyson, even through the different phases that “Iron” Mike went through in his life. He also knows that this situation could just as easily happen to him or anyone else.

    “As a fighter, an athlete, I really like him. But I don’t like what all happened with him: the violence, the pills, the marijuana, then muslims, it’s strange. But I still respect him, both as a fighter and as a person. He went through a lot of things and because of this, he broke down, did a lot of bad things,” Chimaev said.

    7 Times Mike Tyson's Physique was Absolutely Ferocious | Muscle & Fitness
    “Iron” Mike Tyson

    “No one knows what will happen to me, it can happen to anyone. A good, normal person, but something happens and you end up in a mental hospital. Like (Tony) Ferguson, right? Something like that happened to him.”

    It is good to see a fighter so early in his career, be so wary of the cautionary tales that combat sports so often provide. In addition to Mike Tyson, Khamzat Chimaev also referenced former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, who notably went through something of a mental health crisis in 2019.

    While this could be written off as a diss, it instead seems as if he is just conscious of the possible risks that happen as one rises in status and popularity.

    Check out the full interview in the video below:

  • Khamzat Chimaev: The Gilbert Burns Fight Comes Down To His Manager

    UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev has addressed rumors he could fight Gilbert Burns next, suggesting whether or not the matchup comes together is down to the Brazilian’s manager Ali Abdelaziz.

    The fact that we’re already in a position to discuss Chimaev and Burns in the same breath is remarkable. It’s a testament to the 27-year-old’s rapid and brutal rise up the UFC ranks, something he’s achieved in just over a year in the promotion.

    Last summer, “Borz” arrived in style, picking up two wins over John Phillips and Rhys McKee in the space of just 10 days on Fight Island. A couple of months later, he boosted his UFC record to 3-0 with a 17-second knockout of middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.

    After being sidelined for over a year due to COVID-19 complications, something which led to a booking against top-three contender Leon Edwards collapsing, many wondered whether Chimaev could pick up where he left off in his return. Against Li Jingliang at UFC 267, he did that and more.

    The Chechen-born Swede jumped into the rankings with a memorable first-round submission victory in which he rendered “The Leech” unconscious with a rear-naked choke.

    Since his successful comeback, Khamzat Chimaev’s future has been one of the most talked about topics in the UFC. While some even called for “Borz” to be immediately accelerated to the top to challenge Kamaru Usman, UFC President Dana White suggested he needed “one or two” more wins against high-ranked contenders to earn a title shot.

    It appears Chimaev could have his chance to stake his claim for a championship opportunity in January. Recent reports suggested the promotion was targeting a matchup between the newly-arrived contender and former title challenger Gilbert Burns.

    Chimaev Believes Burns Would Accept The Fight

    During a recent appearance on the MMA Hustle podcast, Chimaev was asked about the rumored clash, which would likely serve as a title eliminator. After expressing interest in facing “Durinho,” the 27-year-old suggested it’s down to Burns’ manager Ali Abdelaziz, who Chimaev parted ways with earlier this year.

    “I don’t really know, but I’d love to fight (Burns) and we’ll see. If (his) manager Ali (Abdelaziz) says. The fighter himself, I don’t think he will refuse. The manager decides. Ali understands who I am and who he is… It seems that’s what Ali is trying to tell him, that it’s not advantageous for him. I’m number 10 and he’s number three or two. And whether (it’s) advantageous or not, I’ll get to him and to everyone anyway.” (Via translation)

    If the Dominance MMA CEO does give the green light for his man to enter the Octagon with one of his former fighters, Chimaev doesn’t believe he’ll have an issue dispatching the Brazilian. In fact, the #11-ranked contender went as far as to agree with one of the podcast hosts who claimed the matchup would be easy for him.

    “Yeah, of course. He’s small, not big. I’ll out-box him… No way he could go low on me. A jiu-jitsu fighter, there’s no way. I don’t think he will get me on the mat. When was the last time he managed that? Fighting is different. Jiu-jitsu is on the floor and you still have to get there.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRuxxDpkk-/

    Having fallen short of the gold at UFC 258 earlier this year, Burns would be looking to secure a second crack at dethroning Usman by halting the surge of Chimaev if the booking comes together.

    After rebounding against Stephen Thompson at UFC 264, “Durinho” has made it clear he’s ready to face anyone who can get him back to the title, expect for teammate Vicente Luque, that is.

    How do you think a fight between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev would play out?

  • Tony Ferguson Threatens To Make Khamzat Chimaev His “B*tch”

    Tony Ferguson has blasted Khamzat Chimaev seemingly out of the blue, even going so far as threatening to make the surging UFC star his “bitch.”

    Khamzat Chimaev is swiftly becoming one of the most active social media users on the UFC roster. Just yesterday alone, Borz called out not one, not two, but three retired former UFC champions: Georges St-Pierre, Brock Lesnar, and Daniel Cormier. He also laid into Colby Covington for the second time in recent weeks.

    After one of Chimaev’s tweets directed at Covington, there was one unexpected retweet from none other than former UFC interim lightweight champion, “El Cucuy” Tony Ferguson. Ferguson joined the list of those who have drawn comparisons to Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov and then made an explicit threat to the undefeated phenom.

    “you do not represent USA i represent USA you represent cowardice,” Chimaev posted in a tweet directed at Covington.

    “The Fuck You Do. Ya Can’t Even Make Weight Like Fathead @TeamKhabib Sit Down Shut Up Before I Make You My Bitch Where Were You During The Start Of The Pandemic? # Merica’MF” Ferguson said in his re-tweet.

    Tony Ferguson is currently on a three-fight losing streak and has not competed at welterweight since winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2011. Therefore, the chances of him being paired with undefeated welterweight Khamzat Chimaev in the near future are likely slim to none.

    Chimaev is reportedly in talks to fight Gilbert Burns next, yet there has not been any movement or further reports on those negotiations since the initial report two weeks ago.

    Do you have any interest in seeing a bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Tony Ferguson?