Khamzat Chimaev has won hearts by showcasing his wrestling skills to young fans at the RAF fan zone while also teaching some of the kids a few moves.
Footage originally shared by sport_kozgusi and reshared by Red Corner MMA shows Chimaev having a great time with young fans at the RAF fan zone.
Check out the clip below:
The Chechen-born Emirati will take on former UFC champion Chris Weidman this weekend at RAF ABU Dhabi for the Real American Freestyle Light Heavyweight Crossover Championship. Originally, Chimaev was set to challenge RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Champion Colby Covington. However, “Choas” was forced to withdraw due to an injury, after which he was replaced by Weidman on short notice.
When does Khamzat Chimaev want to return to the octagon?
After losing his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328, Khamzat Chimaev postponed his plans of moving up to chase two-division glory. Instead, “Borz” wanted to compete again at 185 pounds before the year’s end. He had previously called out current and two-time middleweight champion Strickland and other top contenders.
However, with the UFC brass not paying heed to Chimaev’s call for a December fight, the latter now wants to wait for a potential Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov 2 title clash and face the winner. Chimaev told MMA Junkie:
“I should fight the winner [of Strickland vs. Imavov] because I’m the No. 1 contender. I didn’t lose that match. I’m the real champion.”
Check out Khamzat Chimaev’s comments below:
For now, Chimaev wants to focus on fully recovering from several minor injuries he has picked up over the past few years. A few weeks earlier, during a sitdown with Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev said:
“If nothing happens in October or December, I’ll take a little break. I have a lot of injuries that I need to get treated. I go into every fight with some kind of problem.”
