Khamzat Chimaev believes the UFC is protecting Israel Adesanya from him.
The undefeated Chechen monster has been sitting on the sidelines since September, but if you ask him, that is no fault of his own. Chimaev claims that he is open to fighting any top name in the promotion whether it be at welterweight or middleweight. He just needs a name and thus far, Dana White has not called to give him one. Venting his frustrations in an interview shared on his own YouTube channel, Chimaev suggested that he is more than ready for some of the biggest names in the promotion, including reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
“I want to fight for a title so for me it doesn’t matter which weight class,” Chimaev said. “I know we can go [170], but I don’t want to make weight for nobody [to fight]. Why am I gonna do that? I’m number three (in the division). Actually, that number for me means nothing. I feel I’m the king in this weight class and I’m the king in the [185-pound] weight class as well so just give me a title shot.
“I’m ready for Usman, I’m ready for Leon, I’m ready for Israel. It doesn’t matter. I’m ready for anybody. Just ask Dana. I said no never. I want to fight. I am the best and when you feel you’re the best you have to fight with the best. For Israel, there’s nobody there. Only me. If you spoke about money, if you ask the fans, they want to see me and Israel.”
Khamzat Chimaev Claims to Be the Only Legitimate Contender for the Middleweight Title
In a perfect world, Khamzat Chimaev’s first crack at a UFC championship would be against two-time middleweight king Israel Adesanya. But if you ask Chimaev, the promotion is intentionally protecting ‘The Last Stylebender’ from what he believes would be a guaranteed shellacking
“I’m a bad matchup for him. Everyone knows he’s going to lose the title,” Chimaev continued. “That’s why they save that guy. They built him up. They don’t want to lose him like that. [I would] fast finish that guy without punches and that’s why they’re scared. Then the story’s dead you know. They don’t want to kill that guy. Maybe the guy makes money for them, but I still make money, but I’m still making money as well so I don’t know what’s going on. Who we gonna fight? There is nobody.
“He wins against all the strikers and I’m a wrestler. A killer you know. I squeeze their heads off. I’m the biggest name without a belt. When you fight with me, there’s more money, more fans. When I fight, everyone’s waiting for my fight.”
It’s not just Israel Adesanya that Khamzat Chimaev has a total disdain for. In fact, he’s not a fan of essentially every current champion and the promotion’s proclivity to prioritize rematches.
“The other champions, they’re the same. Boring. Everything is the same. The show is the same thing, they speak the same. I’m a big fan of the UFC, but the last year or so we only see the same thing. Pereira and Izzy two times. Usman and Leon two times. Who wants to see that sh*t? Nobody. I don’t want to see that sh*t. I want to see something fun. Fans want to see a crazy show. A crazy fight. People want to see ‘Borz.'”
Who would you like to see Khamzat Chimaev square off with in his highly anticipated return to the Octagon?
