UFC Star Khamzat Chimaev’s Fighting Future Is Questioned

Getty Gilbert Burns & Khamzat Chimaev

UFC star Khamzat Chimaev won’t be around mixed martial arts much longer, according to Jorge Masvidal.

Masvidal, who is doing media ahead of his UFC 287 co-main event clash opposite Gilbert Burns this Saturday, spoke with Sporting News. And when asked about Chimaev, Masvidal unloaded on him. In short, “Gamebred” blasted Chimaev for continually calling out fighters while remaining inactive inside the Octagon. Further, he took aim at “Borz” missing the welterweight limit by nearly 10 pounds in September when he was supposed to headline UFC 279 against Nate Diaz.

“That guy’s not even fighting,” Masvidal said. “This new style of fighter is beyond me. You can just go on Instagram and talk a lot of s***. In every interview all he ever says is, ‘I’m gangster this, I’m gangster that.’ Gangsters make weight and compete because before you’re a gangster, you’re a f****** man.

“And from man to man if I said that I’m going to fight you at this weight and I agree and I go as far as to put my signature on that thing, then the least you could do is, one: not do steroids, and two: f****** make the weight. I’m not accusing him of doing steroids — which I wouldn’t be surprised anyways — but anybody that’s doing steroids and not making the weight, you’re not a fighter.

“You are a version of a fighter but you’re not a pure fighter because you can’t do that. That’s the first sign of respect that we have for each other. Then after that, beat the living crap out of each other. Let’s go to town. Let the best man win. But, you have to play by the rules that we signed. We both agreed on a weight and now the weight cut got tough. I didn’t feel like cutting 8.5 pounds because that’s exactly what he missed by. Get the f*** out of here.”

‘Talk Is Cheap,’ Masvidal Continued to Rant About Chimaev & His UFC Middleweight Title Aspirations

Chimaev has called out UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira on multiple occasions. And Masvidal sees Borz as being all “talk.”

“And then this — whatever his f****** name is that you just mentioned, the guy with the f***** up face — he’s talking about fighting Pereira,” Masvidal said. “That guy’s a world champion. That guy earned his shot up there, had four fights before or three fights before. He fought for the title and then beat the best ’85er that’s been around the last four years. Like, come on, bro. It’s easy to talk and talk is cheap.

“And that’s why in fighting it’s the best because all that fake bulls*** comes to light on fight night. When you get into the fight, all this s*** doesn’t matter. It’s just, let’s go.”

Masvidal Sees Chimaev Leaving MMA Sooner Rather Than Later

Chimaev last fought at UFC 279 when he submitted Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight bout. Prior to that, he edged Burns on the scorecards in a 170-pound battle of the ages in April 2022. Borz is 6-0 in the UFC and 12-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, and Masvidal believes Chimaev’s days in MMA are numbered.

“I think guys like that, he had already retired at some point because he caught Corona or the flu, I don’t know what the f***,” Masvidal said. “He made this whole big stink. I don’t think personally he’ll be around the sport much longer.”