When Khamzat Chimaev got brutally honest about rumored rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov: "We fight each other like that"

Khamzat Chimaev once opted to squash the rumors he and Khabib Nurmagomedov had bad blood behind the scenes after many had speculated the pair were in a heated rivalry.

Back in 2023, 'Borz' was currently in the midst of an unwanted break from the UFC, with a mix of injury, illness and issues finding an opponent forcing him away from the octagon. During that time, 'The Eagle', who had retired a number of years prior, was helping to coach Islam Makhachev to a unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkanovski.

Over the course of Chimaev's break from the UFC and the fact Nurmagomedov was regularly seen on screen in the corner for his fighters, it was then speculated by fans and a number of MMA media that the pair had beef with one another.

While neither man ever confirmed any rivalry, it was believed Nurmagomedov was unhappy with Chimaev after the 30-year-old had been involved in a number of heated conversations with an unknown member of his family.

In March of that year, Khamzat Chimaev then appeared on MMA Fighting, where he addressed the rumors about himself and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

According to Chimaev, there was never any issue between the two and if there was, it's common for Dagestani men to fight and make up straight afterwards. He explained:

"I always feel cool with Khabib. Everyone thinks I had some problems with him, I never had problems with Khabib. His brother or his cousin, we had some conversations, some little problems with each other but it was never a big thing... When I grow up from that place [Dagestan], we fight each other like that and then [wer'e] brothers again. I never had some problem with Khabib... We never had that, I like that guy."

Check out Chimaev's comments below (29:30):

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Middleweight prospect predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Rising middleweight prospect Joe Pyfer has weighed in on the potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev bout expected later this year.

While the fight is yet to be confirmed by the UFC, 'Borz' is considered to be the No.1 contender for the middleweight title, with Du Plessis expected to put it on the line against him before the end of 2025.

Much has been made of the potential match-up, with many fans and fighters theorizing how the contest will play out. Most recently, Pyfer opted to share his analysis during an interview with Calfkicker.

According to 'Bodybagz', Chimaev needs to finish the fight early. He explained:

“I think if he [Khamzat Chimaev] can beat him [Dricus du Plessis] in the first two rounds, if he can get him down in the first two rounds, I think he would beat him. And if he's able to survive the first two rounds, I think Dricus would wind up finishing empty.”

Catch Pyfer’s comments below: