Khamzat Chimaev drops bombshell accusation about UFC's alleged coercion in massive weight miss ahead of Nate Diaz fight
Khamzat Chimaev is set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon following a prolonged hiatus after his impressive first-round submission victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 279. Originally slated to face former UFC star Nate Diaz, Chimaev's plans took an unexpected turn when he was matched against Holland after 'Borz' missed weight by a substantial 7.5 pounds.
Meanwhile, Diaz went on to fight fellow MMA veteran Tony Ferguson, scoring an emphatic fourth-round submission victory in the last fight of his UFC contract.
Chimaev's weight mishap garnered extensive media coverage, drawing the ire of numerous MMA enthusiasts. Speculation abounds that this episode may have spurred the UFC to encourage Chimaev to consider the middleweight division as his new home.
However, during a recent pre-fight media scrum, Chimaev hinted that his decision to not cut weight the night before the Nate Diaz fight was not his choice, indicating possible UFC involvement in orchestrating the weight-related drama. His reluctance to elaborate underscores a bombshell accusation that the UFC may have played a role in the weight mishap.
Speaking to the media ahead of UFC 294, Khamzat Chimaev stated:
“Everyone speaks about [why] I didn’t make weight once in my life and there were some plans to do that that way. It’s not my plan, but I can’t say everything here.”
Catch Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:
Khamzat Chimaev suggests Kamaru Usman took short notice UFC 294 fight for payday
Khamzat Chimaev, ahead of his UFC 294 clash against Kamaru Usman, speculated that the former welterweight champion stepped in as a last-minute replacement to cash in on the "different-level money" associated with fighting him.
Chimaev revealed that had Usman held the belt, he would have considered moving down to the welterweight division. He also emphasized that Usman's failure to reclaim the title from Leon Edwards made him a lesser-known name in the division.
While Chimaev anticipates a competitive fight, he hints that financial incentives play a pivotal role in fighters' decisions, noting that money can outshine titles and histories. Speaking at the pre-fight media scrum, Chimaev stated:
“The guy comes just to make money. It’s a lot of money put on that. I think he gets a lot of good money when somebody fights me. It’s different-level money. That’s why he’s here. Of course, he comes to win, everyone comes to a fight to win, but he already has an excuse and he’s getting paid, so I think that’s why he comes."
He added:
"Everyone here, a lot of guys talk about ‘My history, this belt, this s***,’ when somebody puts the money out, millions... One day everyone will forget about that but the guy [will] have his money for his family. That’s why he’s here, I think.”
Catch Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (3:10):