I was like what the heck! - Neil Magny explains why he was surprised when the UFC announced Khamzat Chimaev vs. Li Jingliang fight
Neil Magny recently opened up on his willingness to face Khamzat Chimaev and how he reacted when Li Jingliang got the fight instead.
After already defeating the Chinese fighter, Magny was certain he would be next in line to face the highly touted prospect. However, that wasn't the case. Although he hasn't fought since being snubbed, the 33-fight veteran returns to the octagon on March 26 to face the dangerous Max Griffin.
During an interview with Sportskeeda's James Lynch, Magny discussed the potential matchup with Khamzat Chimaev. The American welterweight detailed the strange outcome of his call-out to 'Borz':
"I was like, 'No one's willing to fight this dude? Cool, I'll do it.' Dana acknowledged it, UFC acknowledged it, everyone acknowledged it and said I was the only one willing to fight this guy, and then I was not booked for a fight."
Continuing with his thoughts on the matchup, Magny aired his frustration at the fight not being booked:
"I was wide open for a fight, he and I had agreed to fight each other. I was like, 'Oh, here we go. This is the fight to make, they're gonna make it happen.' And then I saw that he was fighting a guy who I previously beat, and I was just like, 'What the heck, what is going on there?'... I'm just glad I finally got a fight here."
A win over Li Jingliang gifted Khamzat Chimaev the chance to leapfrog the entire division with a meeting against No. 2-ranked Gilbert Burns. The two clash next month in a fight widely considered a title eliminator.
Listen to what Neil Magny had to say in his interview with Sportskeeda's own James Lynch below:
Will we ever see Khamzat Chimaev vs. Neil Magny?
While the freestyle wrestler has had a hard time finding opponents, a win over Gilbert Burns on April 9 could mean that a possible meeting with 'The Haitian Sensation' will never come to fruition.
Another standout performance against the Brazilian may be enough to earn Khamzat Chimaev a title shot. In such a stacked division, Neil Magny must then do more than face unranked opponents to advance through the rankings.
A win streak for the American or a bad run of form for the Chechen-born Swede could eventually mean the pair will lock horns. However, any potential fight between the two looks unlikely at the moment.