“Shame on them” - Chael Sonnen slams UFC fighters for refusing to challenge Khamzat Chimaev
Chael Sonnen has sounded off on UFC fighters for purportedly refusing to face Khamzat Chimaev.
In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen suggested that Khamzat Chimaev is having a tough time getting a fight, particularly at welterweight. He added that it’d possibly be easier for ‘Borz’ to get a fight at middleweight.
‘The American Gangster’ also opined that Khamzat Chimaev’s defeating fighters psychologically. Sonnen slammed the fighters for avoiding Chimaev and stated:
“There’s a lot of ways to beat a guy, but if you can do it psychologically and you never have to get out there – Dan Henderson had a great line one time, which is Dan was in a bar with somebody, and the guy said, ‘Hey, Dan. If I get in some trouble, you know, will you walk over there, beat this guy down for me?’ And Dan simply said, ‘Why do I need to beat him down when I can stare him down?’ And that rule of life doesn’t go away."
"You can stare a guy down, and he backs down; it is the art of war because the great generals never fire a shot. They don’t need to. They align their troops and make the other people retreat. And if Chimaev is successfully doing that – If less than 20 minutes of action, three double-legs, a rear-naked choke, and a left hook – If that’s going to scare an entire division away in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, then shame on them. Fair play by Chimaev.”
Sonnen explained that fighters refusing to face Khamzat Chimaev are, in a way, losing to him via forfeit. He also highlighted UFC welterweights such as Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, Neil Magny and Geoff Neal, who have expressed their willingness to fight Chimaev.
Nevertheless, Sonnen insinuated that he’s unable to understand why none of these Khamzat Chimaev matchups seem to be materializing.
Watch Chael Sonnen criticize UFC fighters for evading a Khamzat Chimaev matchup in the video below:
Khamzat Chimaev has been relentlessly pursuing a fight against MMA megastar Nate Diaz
Many believe Khamzat Chimaev is just one win away from a UFC welterweight title shot. A win over someone like UFC icon Nate Diaz would surely catapult ‘Borz’ into a title matchup.
"Do you believe me now?" - @KChimaev 😤
#UFC267 https://t.co/1fpoXwMkY7
Khamzat Chimaev has been relentlessly lobbying for a fight against MMA legend Nate Diaz as of late. Meanwhile, Diaz seems uninterested in the fight and feels that ‘Borz’ should face Conor McGregor instead.
you are the easiest money for me thin @NateDiaz209 ⚰️🤪🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Presently, Chimaev is focused on capturing the UFC welterweight title before he moves up to pursue the middleweight title. The 27-year-old’s next opponent and exact comeback date are yet to be officially revealed.