Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most ferocious fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, he also has a reputation for being a hothead outside the cage. Consequently, ‘Borz’ has been involved in several altercations, even with the fighters outside his division. Because of his this characteristic, Chimaev almost fought his MMA inspiration and former UFC dual-weight champion Conor McGregor.
‘The Notorious’ is a serious trash talker in the UFC. In the lead up to his fights, his opponents go through a lot of mental suffering as the Irishman mocks them in every way possible, even bring up their family members in the mix sometimes. Similarly, before his fight with Russian star Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor did the same. This is what led Chimaev to reach down Ireland to beat the Dubliner.
Khamzat Chimaev almost fought Conor McGregor for Khabib Nurmagomedov
The lead up to the Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor bout got nasty after the latter attacked a bus carrying the Russian fighter and others. In the press conference, McGregor was out of control and mocked the bit out of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
‘The Notorious’ even roped up his family and other teammate. Apparently, the teammates that McGregor mentioned happened to be from Chechen and were friends with Khamzat Chimaev. Thus, McGregor’s words didn’t sit well with the Chechen born Swedish fighter.
In an old interview, Chimaev revealed that McGregor’s comments irked him and since he was living in Sweden, he went to Ireland. ‘The Lone Wolf’ had made up his mind to fight McGregor either in streets or inside the SBG gym.
However, Chimaev added that after landing in Ireland, authorities stopped him from going outside. He was later taken to a police station, per UFC star, where he was kept for 8-9 hours. Chimaev further added that he was taken back to the airport after investigation and sent to Sweden.
‘The Notorious’ inspired Chimaev to pursue MMA
In an interview with ESPN, Khamzat Chimaev talked about his older days. He came from a war-torn country and settled in Sweden. ‘Borz’ was looking for a career path in MMA. But he wasn’t sure about it.
That is when ‘The Lone Wolf’ witnessed Conor McGregor. In 2015, ‘The Notorious’ knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13-seconds to became the new featherweight champion. He made millions for his victory.
This inspired Khamzat Chimaev, and he took his way ahead with MMA. Today, Chimaev is one of the top UFC welterweight contenders. He is undefeated in his professional MMA career. A few wins in the future will surely earn him a title shot. Thus, it is easy to say that ‘Borz’ made a right choice.
What are your thoughts on Chimaev’s UFC career? What do you guys think about him going to Ireland to beat McGregor?
