"He gave up on the armbar" - Luke Rockhold denies being dominated by Khamzat Chimaev in grappling session, says viral video was misleadingly edited

Luke Rockhold has denied that he was dominated by Khamzat Chimaev in a grappling session. His comments come after the viral video that appeared to show 'Borz' getting the upper hand over the former UFC star.

A few weeks ago, a video was uploaded to YouTube by MMA UK, which showed Chimaev and Rockhold taking part in a grappling session. The pair showcased their talents on the mat whilst other fighters watched on, but the video appeared to show that Chimaev made Rockhold tap.

Watch the video here:

The video later went viral, with many fans believing it demonstrated once again that Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most talented grapplers in MMA today. According to Luke Rockhold, however, that might not be the case.

Speaking in a recent interview with Helen Yee, the former UFC middleweight champ stated that the video was intentionally edited to make Chimaev look superior, whereas in reality, their exchanges were much closer. He said:

"It was literally one week away before I was supposed to fight Joe Schilling in a kickboxing match. Then Khamzat came in and they're trying to get me to go [grapple] with him. He ended up going with me and he pulled guard and went for leg locks. I expected him to wrestle with me but they edited it to make it look like I submitted. He didn't get me with anything...He gave up on the armbar and that was it. It wasn't exactly the cleanest edit. People should edit things right."

Check out Luke Rockhold's comments here (2:15):

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Khamzat Chimaev weighs in on Islam Makhachev's chances at middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev isn't so sure Islam Makhachev could replicate his success at the higher weight classes.

After winning the 155-pound strap in 2022, Makhachev has gone on to defend the title on four occasions. Due to his dominance in the division, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has stated he believes Makhachev could also win the welterweight and middleweight titles.

During a recent interview with Aslanbek Badaev, Chimaev was asked about Abdelaziz's claims, to which he admitted he had doubts about Makhachev's chances. He said:

"Well, if Islam wants to, and [Ali] Abdelaziz wants, let him go up and try. I don't know. I can't give an answer about Islam now. I haven't trained with him. Maybe, it's possible, maybe not...I have my doubts because of his last fight at 155. It was tough for him. Although I had a tough fight against Gilbert [at 170] then I moved up to 185 and it was easier [to fight] there. Maybe Islam will have the same situation. He might move up and it will become much easier. Well, only the Octagon can show."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments here: