Khamzat Chimaev has firmly stated his intentions regarding a potential future bout with Khalil Rountree Jr., a former contender for the UFC light heavyweight championship. Chimaev, the current middleweight champion, is preparing for his upcoming fight against Sean Strickland at UFC 328. Following this defense, “Borz” has expressed a desire to compete for a second title in the light heavyweight division.
In a recent interview during fight week, when questioned about the possibility of facing Rountree Jr., Chimaev conveyed that he views Rountree Jr. as a brother and has no intention of ever fighting him. Chimaev elaborated, “I’m never gonna fight Khalil. If I’m brother with you I’m real brother don’t do that bullsh*t like Sean does he calls you brother one day and second day he fights you I can’t do that sh*t. I wanna be real.”
Chimaev and Rountree Jr. have been training partners for several months. Rountree Jr. has previously lauded Chimaev’s intense work ethic, noting that their training sessions have significantly contributed to his mental fortitude and improvements in striking, grappling, and overall mixed martial arts skills.
Khamzat Chimaev Also Unwilling to Face Nassourdine Imavov
Previously, there were rumors of a potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and top contender Nassourdine Imavov. However, this fight did not materialize. Both Chimaev and Imavov reportedly did not wish to compete against each other due to personal connections and the shared heritage from regions like Dagestan and Chechnya. Addressing this, Chimaev commented, “Of course we both don’t want to fight each other because same religion, same country almost we know each other I believe he’s a next champ too.”
English Translation:
Khamzat Chimaev has expressed his thoughts on a potential future matchup with former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. Middleweight champion Chimaev is scheduled to compete this weekend at UFC 328 against Sean Strickland. “Borz” intends to successfully defend his title and then move up to light heavyweight in pursuit of a second belt.
During a recent interview on fight week, when asked if he would ever fight Rountree Jr., Chimaev stated that he considers “The War Horse” a brother and will never fight him. He explained, “I’m never gonna fight Khalil. If I’m brother with you, I’m a real brother. Don’t do that bullsh*t like Sean does; he calls you brother one day and fights you the next day. I can’t do that sh*t. I wanna be real.”
Chimaev and Rountree Jr. have been training together for the past few months. Rountree Jr. has praised “Borz” for his relentless work ethic in training, stating that sparring with Chimaev has helped him develop a stronger mindset and improve as a striker, grappler, and mixed martial artist.
Khamzat Chimaev Does Not Want to Fight ‘Future Champ’ Nassourdine Imavov
Khamzat Chimaev was initially rumored to fight top contender Nassourdine Imavov. However, the matchup did not come to fruition, as neither Chimaev nor Imavov wanted to fight each other due to personal ties and the relationship between their regions, Dagestan and Chechnya. Chimaev further commented on this during the same interview: “Of course, we both don’t want to fight each other because we share the same religion, almost the same country, and we know each other. I believe he’s the next champ too.”
