"He should be penalized, not rewarded" - Fans assume Khamzat Chimaev missed out on UFC 279 POTN bonus despite submission win over Kevin Holland because of massive weight miss
Khamzat Chimaev delivered yet another flawless performance at UFC 279.
'Borz' took on Kevin Holland in a five-round catchweight (180 pounds) bout in the co-main event. The Chechen-born Swede took Holland down in very beginning of the fight and then proceeded to submit him via a D'Arce choke.
Khamzat Chimaev did not absorb a single significant strike in the fight. Despite his spectacular performance, 'Borz' did not receive a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.
Although no official reason has been stated, Chimaev may have been snubbed for the bonus due to him missing weight.
'Borz' was originally scheduled to take on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279. However, the 28-year-old came in overweight by 7.5 pounds. The fight was scrapped and Chimaev was then matched up against Kevin Holland, who was originally scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez.
MMA fans speculated about whether he would earn a post-fight bonus on Twitter. One user said that although technically Chimaev did not miss weight as he later competed in a catchweight bout, he should not be rewarded for his unprofessional behavior.
"Hot Take: I don't think Chimaev should be eligible for a post-fight bonus tonight. Yes, I know technically it's not a "weight miss" anymore because of the card switch-up but it was his fault for missing weight for Diaz. He should be penalized, not rewarded. #UFC279."
Hot Take: I don't think Chimaev should be eligible for a post-fight bonus tonight. Yes, I know technically it's not a "weight miss" anymore because of the card switch-up but it was his fault for missing weight for Diaz. He should be penalized, not rewarded. #UFC279
Another user alleged that Chimaev would get a bonus behind closed doors.
@ufc Chimaev will get a bonus under the table 💯
One individual said that the Chechen-born Swede should not be eligible for the Crypto.com fan bonus.
Chimaev better not get that crypto fan bonus
A few more tweets on the matter can be seen below:
Chimaev shouldn't even be considered for a bonus when he couldn't make weight. #UFC279
Honestly I think I hate Chimaev more than any fighter ever now. He better not get any fight bonus! #POS #UFC279 @ufc
#UFC279No win bonus and definitely no FOTN or POTN bonus for #Chimaev no matter his perfornance. @danawhite #UFC279 twitter.com/DanaExotic/sta…
Chimaev should have to forfeit his entire purse and only take home a win bonus (should he win). The chance to add to his MMA record is already a gift after his insanely unprofessional weight miss.
And he should have to pay for Li Jingliang’s suit. #UFC279
#UFC279 Chimaev came in well over weight so he doesn’t deserve a bonus. Give it to Holland and Li instead.
Chimaev did the “make it rain”…
He’s not eligible for a bonus… right?
#UFC279
UFC going to make Chimaev eligible for a bonus tonight? Because, c'mon now... #UFC279
lmao @ no bonus for khamzat chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev says he offered to give up his purse in order to fight Nate Diaz
After his dominant victory, Khamzat Chimaev had a chat with Megan Olivi backstage. 'Borz' claimed that he offered to give his entire fight purse to Nate Diaz so that the fight could happen, but in the end, the matchup didn't materialize.
"I could make that weight, the doctor stopped that. So yeah, what I could do now? I was waiting what UFC said to me. I said I want to fight so I gave all my money to that guy. This was almost two million... So I said give all my money to that guy, let him fight. If he is that gangster, he shoud fight for money. But he didn't want to fight me, you know? So, who's the gangster now?"
Watch Chimaev's interview with Megan Olivi below:
Diaz ended up fighting Tony Ferguson and defeated him via submission in the fourth round of the UFC 279 main event.
Meanwhile, after his dominant win over Kevin Holland, it remains to be seen whether the UFC will put Khamzat Chimaev in another welterweight bout. While he has reiterated that he is gunning for the 170-pound title, his egregious weight miss and behavior this past week could impact proceedings.