Mike Perry reveals why he passed over Khamzat Chimaev's invitation to train in Chechnya
Mike Perry recently cleared up why he turned down Khamzat Chimaev's invitation to train in Chechnya.
The former UFC welterweight contender alluded to the egregious and compelling narratives surrounding Russia that led to his decision. Intriguingly, several foreign governments advise against traveling to Chechnya for any purpose.
Speaking with Helen Yee about his future plans and intent to compete under the UFC banner again, Perry revealed the conversation that he has been having with welterweight behemoth Khamzat Chimaev on social media:
"He told me to come to Chechnya when I was in Russia. I was like, 'Yeah, I'm probably not going to make it bro.' I heard that's no man's land... shouldn't go there. "
Perry went on to say that the region that birthed some of the most dominant fighters in the sport may be rich in natural beauty:
"I mean, that's a cool rumor that it's so dangerous that you shouldn't go there and it's probably got some nice views. But I've heard Chechnya is pretty dangerous and maybe that's why Khamzat's so dangerous... and a lot of the other Russian fighters [are dangerous too]."
Watch the full interview below:
Curiously enough, Perry had called out Khamzat Chimaev for a fight after his originally booked opponent, Robbie Lawler, was forced to withdraw from their clash at UFC 255 due to an injury.
So @Ruthless_RL pulled out due to an injury. Looking for a replacement I asked for @KChimaev and we can do it at middleweight @ufc @FirstRoundMgmt
Mike Perry reveals why he wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev
Mike Perry, who signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship after his UFC contract expired, recently revealed that he's open to the prospect of rejoining the world's premier fight organization. With that in mind, he wants to test himself against the best names in the game, including the likes of Khamzat Chimaev.
While weighing in on the rumored fight between Colby Covington and 'Borz' in the aforementioned interview, Perry stated that he would like to challenge himself against top-tier competition like Chimaev:
"Khamzat really has the momentum. He has 4-5 wins now in exciting fashion. I mean, I like Khamzat. I talk to him sometimes on social media. And as a fighter who wants to be great, I would love an opportunity to fight guys like that who are great you know. And it's about competing, it's not disrespectful."
The UFC is reportedly working on a fight between top-ranked 170-pounders Covington and Chimaev. According to UFC president Dana White, the fight could very well be the co-main event for the Edwards-Usman trilogy fight in London.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington is on Dana White’s radar. 👀
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