Khamzat Chimaev shares a stern warning for Ian Machado Garry over middleweight transition: "You're too skinny kid"
Undefeated UFC welterweight Ian Machado Garry is making lots of headlines lately not just for his bouts, but also for his words. The Irish MMA star has been quite vocal of his criticism of his division and other fighters on the roster.
Ahead of his fight with fellow undefeated star Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 on December 7, Ian Machado Garry made a bold claim of winning his division's title then moving up to middleweight to fight a particularly feared individual.
'The Future' was talking about UFC middleweight boogeyman Khamzat 'Borz' Chimaev. The Chechen assassin might be the worst person to target at the moment, as nearly the entire MMA world sees him as the most dangerous fighter on the UFC roster, not just in his division.
In response to Garry's plans, Chimaev posted on X [Translated]:
"@ianagaryy You're too skinny kid, don't go near the Wolf's teeth, you'll end up headless😁"
That's as bone-chilling a response can possibly get. Chimaev is currently undefeated with all but two of his fights getting finished. His most recent performance saw Chimaev blast through former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker in the first round. He did so via a face crank that broke the Aussie's jaw.
What did Ian Machado Garry say that caused a response from Khamzat Chimaev?
If one's wondering what Ian Machado Garry said to elicit such a stern response from Khamzat Chimaev, his interview with Ariel Helwani is the reason. In the interview, 'The Future' laid out his plans to become a double-champ. When Garry said that he'll move up to middleweight, he particularly mentioned Chimaev, not the current champ, Dricus du Plessis.
Garry said:
"I'm a young kid who dreamt of being here, who wanted to see my face on billboards, who wanted to put on shows against the scariest people in the world. I've said to you before, how my ideal scenario is I fight, I beat Shavkat [Rakhmonnov] and win the title. Then go up to middleweight and then fight Khamzat [Chimaev]. I'll be able to win that belt too. I'm not afraid of any man."
Check out his comments here:
That's an arduous task Ian Machado Garry is planning to take on. Both the UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions are heavily stacked. The first hurdle he has to jump over is the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is not only unbeaten, but has a 100% finishing rate in 18 fights.