It appears the UFC’s close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump helped facilitate Khamzat Chimaev being cleared to fight in the U.S.
Ahead of his title fight with Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev addressed the media at an open workout, reflecting on the journey that’s brought him to this point, and what he thinks of UFC 319 opponent DDP.
Du Plessis, the current UFC middleweight champion, has been noted for having a “weird” (or perhaps just unconventional) style. “Everyone says it’s a weird style. That’s MMA. MMA style,” responded Chimaev (14-0), speaking with journalists including Cageside Press. “So I don’t think it’s something crazy weird, but he does his job, he does good, and he’s a good fighter. I’m better.”
There’s been some trash talk ahead of this one on social media, sparked by Chimaev himself. No surprise; he’s also feuded with Paulo Costa recently. It doesn’t appear the undefeated challenger is taking it too seriously, however.
“It’s just making money, having fun. If he wants to take it personally, it’s up to him. But for me, it’s just work. It makes people happy, it makes me happy. Like I said before, beating somebody makes me happy. Just be ready.”
What comes next for Khamzat Chimaev could get interesting. He has fought at welterweight in the past, though he badly missed weight for a planned fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 279. So badly, the pair had to be split up and booked opposite different oppnents, while remaining on the card. Still, a fight with Islam Makhachev, should he win gold at 170lbs sometime in the near future, could be massive.
“We’ll see who is going to be the champ there, but I don’t know. It’s the fastest way, if the guy wins the fight, fastest way to get the belt, the number one,” admitted Chiamev.
He did confirm to Cageside Press that he’d like to fight in Abu Dhabi in October, despite it being a quick turnaround. He fought just once, in Abu Dhabi, in each of the past two years. That was apparently due to his visa situation, he explained.
“It wasn’t my bad, it wasn’t my fault,” Chimaev stated. “I didn’t have the visa to the U.S., that’s why I fought only once in Abu Dhabi. Now, Donald Trump, he helped, so we go for a fight.”
The U.S. President is a big backer of the UFC, and in years past hosted UFC events at his casinos; he’s also appeared on UFC broadcasts during his time in office. Next year, the promotion has a show planned for the White House itself. It’s unclear, however, if Trump helped on a personal level, or if his return to office earlier this year simply made it easier for Chimaev’s visa to be pushed through. Either way, he’s set for UFC 319 in Chicago next Saturday.
Watch the full UFC 319 open workout media appearance with Khamzat Chimaev above.
