Israel Adesanya reveals the exact moment Khamzat Chimaev gained his respect and it was even before 'Borz' beat Robert Whittaker
Israel Adesanya once dismissed Khamzat Chimaev as an irrelevant contender in the middleweight division, but his perspective changed before Chimaev's dominant win over Robert Whittaker.
Speaking at the UFC Saudi Arabia media day, Adesanya admitted that Chimaev first earned his respect during his war with Gilbert Burns. The former champion acknowledged Chimaev’s toughness, saying:
“He’s really good. When he fought Gilbert Burns was the one I had respect for him, I was like okay, he’s got that dog in him, he can fight, he can dig deep and he can still swing. But when he fought Rob and beat him the way he did, it made me take notice. Like okay, I gotta be careful with this guy, watch out for this guy.”
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (4:43):
Adesanya is determined to reclaim his status as the division’s top contender, but with Chimaev’s rapid rise, a future showdown between the two may be inevitable.
Khamzat Chimaev once accused the UFC of shielding Israel Adesanya from a potential fight
Khamzat Chimaev once suggested that the UFC deliberately avoided booking a fight between him and Israel Adesanya, fearing the latter would lose. Despite both fighters being among the UFC’s biggest attractions, they never shared the octagon.
In May 2023, while Adesanya was still the middleweight champion, Chimaev positioned himself as the most formidable challenger. He believed the UFC was reluctant to match them up, claiming they wanted to protect Adesanya’s status:
"For Israel, there’s nobody there – only me. So if you spoke about money, if you ask the fans, they want to see me and Israel. I’m a bad matchup for him. Everyone knows he’s going to lose the title [to me]. That’s why they save that guy."
He argued that Adesanya’s marketability played a role in the UFC’s matchmaking decisions. Chimaev believed the promotion feared he would end Adesanya’s reign too soon, disrupting their plans:
"You know they built up him. They don’t want to lose him that fast. [I’d] finish that guy without punches, and that’s why they’re scared. Then [his] story’s dead, you know? They don’t want to kill that guy. Maybe the guy makes money for them, but I still make money, as well, so I don’t know what’s going on."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below: