‘The problem is definitely not me’: Khamzat Chimaev hits back at Dana White, after UFC president claimed the undefeated star’s inactivity is due to ‘personal issues’… with ‘Borz’ calling out SIX fighters he want to meet
Khamzat Chimaev has not fought since he assaulted Kevin Holland last September
When asked about firing, Dana White said it was down to ‘personal issues’
Chimaev disputes that, saying he has prepared and is ready to fight
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Khamzat Chimaev has responded to Dana White’s claim that his inactivity is due to “personal problems.”
The undefeated star from Chechnya has not played since he assaulted Kevin Holland last September.
Fans eager to see him return to the octagon were told by White that Chimaev’s lack of action is not the fault of the UFC.
He said, “That’s up to him though. He has things going on in his private life. It’s not because we don’t cause him a fight.
‘Of course you know how things are here. I talk about this all the time, we need to get guys three fights a year.
Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by a huge margin at UFC 279 in Las Vegas
He has been out since beating Kevin Holland in the first round last September
“If we guys don’t get three fights a year, we have to pay them. The only way that wouldn’t happen is if there were personal things going on.”
Chimaev then took to social media and wrote, “I have no problem with fights, if they gave me a fight I would have fought a long time ago, I’ve done so many training camps and not one fight, the problem is definitely not with me, prepared in Dubai and then to Thailand, why do I train so much if there is no fighting, I don’t get it.’
He then followed it up with a tweet tagging Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad, Israel Adesanya, Colby Covington and Robert Whittaker, saying “I can fight anyone, I don’t care.”
There are serious doubts about whether Chimaev can still compete as a welterweight.
He messed up his part for the proposed fight with Nate Diaz last year, leading to a short-term replacement in the Netherlands.
Chimaev ripped through him with a submission in the first round and his coach Andreas Michael later claimed that the preparation had been far from ideal.
He told the MMA Hour: “He was having muscle spasms, shaking, vomiting. When he stood up he fainted. I was worried about him.
“Since he got the coronavirus and all these health issues, he’s had a little bit of a hard time putting on weight.
“Since that problem, his body has been a little off balance when it comes to pushing it to the last drop. But I’m just speculating. Like I said, I’m not a doctor, I’m not a doctor or anything like that, nor do I claim to be one.
Chimaev (left) has been berating potential opponents for not wanting to fight him
“I told Chimaev, ‘F*** this, your health is number one,’” Michael said. That’s why we called the doctor. We thought, ‘Forget the fight. Is he okay?’
“Losing weight is very dangerous to the body if you push too hard, and I just wanted him to be okay.”
It remains to be seen if Chimaev will be offered fights at the welterweight and the UFC would need confidence that he could successfully reach 170 pounds.
If not, there are plenty of matchups for him at middleweight where a clash with champion Israel Adesanya would whet the appetite.