"My Muslim brother help everybody" - Khamzat Chimaev gives sarcastic response to Paulo Costa training at 'Khabib Gym UAE'

The UFC is set to visit Abu Dhabi on October 21 for UFC 294, and in the co-headliner, Khamzat Chimaev will face off against Paulo Costa.

The fight will be Chimaev’s first trip to the octagon for over a year, after he submitted Kevin Holland in the first round last September.

Given Paulo Costa’s size and striking credentials, Khamzat Chimaev may well have his hands full with the former middleweight title challenger.

However, ‘Borz’ will probably be hopeful of taking ‘The Eraser’ to the ground, particularly after seeing some training footage of the Brazilian seemingly struggling with a smaller sparring partner in the wrestling department.

Interestingly, though, it appears that Costa has already arrived in the UAE in preparation for the bout, despite it still being just over a month away.

An interesting Instagram post recently suggested that ‘The Eraser’ has been training at a gym owned by former UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov since arriving in the Middle East.

This did not pass by Khamzat Chimaev, though. In a sarcastic response, ‘Borz’ replied to the post by stating that his “Muslim brother” – a reference to the religion shared by he and Khabib – might be willing to help ‘The Eraser’, but he would still “smash (him).”

Despite often being compared, Chimaev and Nurmagomedov have never been teammates. In fact, footage appeared earlier this year that showed ‘Borz’ arguing with Khabib’s cousin Umar at UFC 280 last year, leading to a mild scuffle.

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Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Could ‘Borz’ claim a title shot with a win?

Khamzat Chimaev’s fight with Paulo Costa at UFC 294 is set to be his second bout at 185 pounds in the octagon. Last time ‘Borz’ fought as a middleweight, he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert back in 2020.

However, despite Chimaev lacking experience at the weight, former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping has claimed that a big win over Costa could net him a title shot.

Right now, the two clear-cut top contenders for Sean Strickland’s title are seemingly former champion Israel Adesanya and No.2-ranked contender Dricus du Plessis.

Despite this, ‘The Count’ went on record to state that Chimaev could leapfrog both men if he can beat ‘The Eraser’ next month.

Watch Michael Bisping discuss Chimaev’s title hopes below.