"It pisses Dana off"- Josh Thomson explains the repercussions of Khamzat Chimaev missing weight by 7.5lbs ahead of UFC 279
Josh Thompson explained the repercussions of Khamzat Chimaev missing weight ahead of UFC 279 that forced the fight card to be reshuffled. The Chechen missed the welterweight non-title mark by a whooping 7.5 lbs. Originally slated to fight Nate Diaz in the main event, Chimaev ended up facing Kevin Holland in the co-main event in a catchweight bout.
Khamzat Chimaev steps on the scale at 178.5 pounds, missing weight ahead of his #UFC279 main event bout. https://t.co/uSbqRUVH83
Thomson addressed the incident alongside John McCarthy on the Weighing In podcast from the perspective of UFC president Dana White and claimed that incidents like these antagonize a promoter:
''These type of things that Chimaev did, it pisses Dana off. And maybe this whole thing worked out, but this is kind of Chimaev's one strike. Look making weight is a big deal to me, to every promoter it's a big deal. If you don't make weight, what am I gonna do with you? I can't rely on you.''
Khazmat Chimaev was subject to serious backlash from the MMA community for missing weight. 'Borz' was at his dominant best as he handled business against Kevin Holland with a quick first-round submission victory. Chimaev engaged in an edge-of-the-seat barnburner against Gilbert Burns in his last fight at UFC 273 which raised some questions about his skillset.
Check out Thomson's comments below (watch from 13:50):
Josh Thomson claims that Khamzat Chimaev missing weight at UFC 279 was unprofessional and disrespectful
A chaotic UFC 279 fight week culminated with one half of the main event, Khamzat Chimaev, missing weight by 7.5 lbs. This forced the UFC brass to quickly pivot and make last-minute adjustments to the scard.
Khamzat Chimaev ended up facing Kevin Holland, while Nate Diaz fought Tony Ferguson in the main event. 'Borz' reminded the world that he's a force to be reckoned with after he bulldozed through Holland before locking in a D'Arce choke.
Although Josh Thomson was impressed by Chimaev's performance, he could not turn a blind eye to the bedlam that ensued during the fight week:
''I'm not a big Chimaev fan to be honest. I think he's a good fighter, he's extremely talented, I think the sky is the limit for him, but the things that happened over the last week, I almost feel like I take it personally. You're kinda disrespecting the craft of what we do. And it was very unprofessional.''