Khamzat Chimaev has been busy since losing his UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland back in May. In June he wrestled Dillon Danis for Real American Freestyle, pinning the unreliable BJJ standout easily. A brawl broke out afterward because Danis gonna Danis, but RAF didn’t blame Chimaev. Instead, they booked him to headline RAF Moscow against fellow former UFC champ Tyron Woodley, and he’ll take on Gilbert Burns for RAF 13 in two weeks.
This is the first time in 15 years that the Chechen fighter
has competed in Russia, and media took the opportunity to ask him all about his flat performance against Strickland that cost him his belt. Asked about the reports of injury or weight cut issues, “Borz” shrugged.
“There were mistakes,” he said (video provided by Ushatayka). “There are always mistakes. There is no such thing as ‘without mistakes.’ We are human after all. I am not a saint, to be without mistakes. Nothing. I don’t want to talk about these things, weight cutting, all that stuff. Injuries. It is normal. We are fighting soon.”
“I don’t consider myself a loser,” Chimaev said at the RAF presser. “When you don’t give up, you don’t lose. I train everyday. I’ve been doing this my whole life, since I was 5 years old. I provide for my family. I’m happy to make money, beat someone up.”
As for a Sean Strickland rematch?
“I am waiting for it, even tomorrow,” Chimaev said. “I’m waiting for it more than you.”
He may have to wait a while. Strickland is still rehabbing an injured shoulder, and reports have Nassourdine Imavov as the heavy favorite to get the next title shot.
“I’m not surprised by it,” Chimaev said. “How long has Imavov been waiting for his title shot? Probably two years. He’s already the contender. Whoever wins, we’ll take him.”
Chimaev also confirmed that he was no longer looking at moving to light heavyweight.
“Until we break everyone at 185, I’m not going anywhere,” he declared.
Given how difficult it has been for Chimaev to make the cut and the performance issues he’s had in the cage, we wonder whether that’s another mistake.
