Khamzat Chimaev has come under fire from fans for comments he’s made ahead of his first UFC title defense.
Chimaev and Sean Strickland will face off in the main event of UFC 328 next Saturday, and tensions between them are running high.
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The two originally trained together at Xtreme Couture before Chimaev left the gym, knowing there was a good chance they’d end up fighting each other one day.
Both have exchanged harsh words in the build-up, and with fight week approaching, the promotion will be hoping nothing spills over outside the cage.
Chimaev’s money over legacy comments draw heat from fans
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCEven with all the tension building up between Chimaev and Strickland, the 32-year-old says he appreciates how the former champion has been promoting their upcoming fight.
Speaking at a media scrum this past Thursday, Chimaev said:
“That’s my work. I love it. I love the UFC, I love Sean Strickland and what he’s talking about. (It’s) making a big fight, let him make money, you know… I like his talking. It’s good for me. I don’t need to worry about talking, he’s talking for everyone.”
But those comments haven’t gone over well with fans who have accused Chimaev of putting money before legacy ahead of his title defense.
“I don’t care about my belt… I’m still the hunter but I don’t go after the belt if I was going after the belt I would finish my career because I have it already. I’m going for the money,” he said.
Khamzat Chimaev ripped by fans ahead of UFC title defence vs Sean Strickland
“If the rat wanted more money, he’d be fighting more than once a year. Like a junkie that breaks into a car whenever he wants more dope, he’s lazy and greedy at the same time,” one fan commented.
Khamzat Chimaev built his early UFC reputation by staying active – at one point fighting twice in just 10 days. But that pace has slowed considerably recently; he has only fought once per year for each of the past three years.
Doubts about his motivations grew again when Chimaev signed with Real American Freestyle Wrestling – not to stay busy between MMA bouts but simply “for money.” That led to further calls from fans suggesting that boxing might suit him better if cash is now his main goal.
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