'I don't know where he's at right now mentally' - Dana White has doubts about Khamzat Chimaev
Dana White has said he cannot figure out Khamzat Chimaev's mentality at the moment. The UFC president suggested he is unsure about how mentally sound Chimaev is, and that he shouldn't have trained while he was on medication.
Chimaev recently hinted at retiring from the sport after he supposedly coughed blood following a training session.
In an interview with TSN's Aaron Bronsteter, White said that the Chechen's enthusiasm to train and fight has cost him dearly.
"We brought him (Khamzat Chimaev) out here to get him looked at, and the doctors got him out here, they took care of him. The reason why we love this guy is because he's a savage. He got a million followers on social media in a few weeks because as fight fans, this is the guy we like to watch fight, that we like to follow. The problem with a guy like this is: he has no patience, he wants to fight every weekend, he believes he could win the title today. He wants to fight as soon as possible," said White.
Dana White further added that Khamzat Chimaev was on "serious medication", and was supposed to be resting instead of training.
"He was on serious medication. He was supposed to be resting and relaxing, but he wasn't. He was in the gym, training like an animal, and he got sick again, he got affected by doing what he wasn't supposed to be doing. I think because things aren't moving as fast as he would like them to, he got emotional and put that tweet out. To be honest with you, I don't know where he's at right now mentally or what he's doing," said White.
Will Khamzat Chimaev retire from MMA?
Khamzat Chimaev's meteoric rise can be attributed to his relentless work and passion for fighting. His potential retirement will certainly be a tremendous loss for the sport.
It took just over two months for him to establish himself as one of the biggest stars in the promotion. Dana White has made it clear that the 26-year-old will not hang up his gloves.
According to the UFC president, Chimaev will be healthy again after completing his medication. While it may take longer than expected, 'Borz' could return to action as soon as he is medically cleared to compete again.
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