MMA
Chimaev denies UFC boss’ statement: I want to fight, the problem is definitely not with me!
Khamzat Chimaev is supposed to be one of the UFC’s biggest prospects, but we last saw him in the cage in September 2022 and it’s still unclear when fans will see him again. Now, however, the reason for his fight hiatus is being addressed. That’s because the version that Dana White is saying doesn’t match the one that the fighter himself is now saying.
Khamzat Chimaev is supposed to be one of the UFC’s biggest prospects, but we last saw him in the cage in September 2022 and it’s still unclear when fans will see him again. Now, however, the reason for his fight hiatus is being addressed. Because the version that Dana White says doesn’t match the one that the fighter himself is now saying.
The Swedish fighter has a record of 12-0. He flew into the UFC like big water in 2020. He won two fights in ten days in two different weight classes. One he won by submission, the other by TKO.
Khamzat Chimaev quickly made his mark on the fans and gained more and more attention with his submissions. Moreover, he was notching up more wins before the coronavirus came close to ending his career because of it. Eventually, however, the talented fighter was able to return to action.
For the time being, his toughest opponent was Gilbert Burns, whom he managed to defeat on points in a memorable battle. His last fight, however, was a middleweight bout with Kevin Holland in September 2022. We haven’t seen him in action since then, and it’s a question of when that will happen.
“It’s up to him. He’s got some issues in his personal life. It’s not because we don’t want to see him fight. You know how it is around here. I talk about it all the time. Fighters have to get three fights a year, if they don’t get them, we have to pay them. The only reason it wouldn’t happen is because of personal issues,” Dana White expressed before UFC 288.
Only now the Swedish fighter himself has gotten the word out, denying White’s statement on his social media.
“I don’t have problems with the fights. If they offered me a fight, I would have taken it a long time ago. I’ve done several training camps and not a single fight. The problem is definitely not me. I have been preparing in Dubai and Thailand,” says Chimaev.
Among other things, the talented fighter wondered why he would train so hard if he didn’t want to fight. The American media currently has no idea whose side the truth is on.
It was recently still rumored that Chimaev could fight Paulo Costa in Abu Dhabi in October, only now that fight hasn’t been heard from in a long time. So when will we see the 29-year-old in action?
Source: Khamzat Chimaev, UFC, BJPenn.com