"Mental issues literally changed him" - Fans surprised to see "humble" Khamzat Chimaev praising fellow fighters at UFC 308 press event

MMA fans were surprised by Khamzat Chimaev’s respectful demeanor during the UFC 308 press conference ahead of his fight against Robert Whittaker this weekend. Renowned for his notorious catchphrase about wanting to "smash" his opponents, the undefeated fighter has made a surprising shift from his typical brash personality during fight week.

At the UFC 308 press conference, Chimaev was questioned about his newfound composure and modified training regimen. 'Borz' spoke highly of Whittaker, describing him as a “legend” and expressing admiration for his past achievements as a champion. He also extended this praise to other fighters, including Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria, recognizing their accomplishments in the sport.

Speaking about his fellow fighters, Chimaev said:

"Robert [Whittaker] is the guy I looked up to him when he was champion. I first fought I went they he was a champ already in UFC he is a legend. I am happy to fight with this guy and so much motivated for that you know. [I’m sitting] close to Max Holloway, hall of fame, been the BMF champ, world champ… Ilia Topuria, he did work with me, he’s the champ right now. I wanna be the champ as well."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:

Several fans took to X to react to Chimaev's comments and wrote:

"Khamzat’s battle against mental issues literally changed him… he’s so humble that you’d wanna hug him."

"Humble Khamzat Arc is going crazy."

"We need a new name for this version of Khamzat. We have lockdown Khamzat, post-Covid Khamzat where he has cardio issues and now this version of Khamzat where he is humble and his hair is long and he wears glasses. Hopefully, this version is active AF and has fixed his issues."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Khamzat Chimaev praising fellow UFC 308 fighters. [Images courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

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Khamzat Chimaev opens up about his son's health issues ahead of UFC 308

Khamzat Chimaev recently disclosed that his son is dealing with significant health issues, particularly related to his kidney. 'Borz' is set to take on Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Chimaev shared that he will return to Sweden for his son’s upcoming surgery. He also acknowledged the difficulties of being a parent, stating:

"I [am] going back to Sweden. My son has one surgery, has second one. But everything is good, thank God, but one more after the fight. So after that, my son will be healthy. So yeah. Let's see... He has one kidney. Some problem, I don't know what that [is called] in English. So, but they say usually a lot of kids has it. So thank God, he's healthy, he's speaking, you know. So he's going, running. He's happy."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (7:30):