Remember back in 2021, when the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, took to Instagram Live to bash UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov? During the live session, Kadyrov challenged Khabib to come to his promotion, Absolute Champion, to prove his superiority, even offering him more money. At the same time, UFC middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev was also enjoying the live stream, and in an effort to impress his leader, he talked down Khabib.

Chimaev said, “We’ll tear him apart if he wants.” This incident sparked a long-standing beef between these two formidable fighters, who were once considered on good terms, it lingered until recently Chimaev addressed the issue in a recent interview.

Khamzat Chimaev breaks silence on his animosity with Khabib Nurmagomedov

In the game of  ‘sweat and blood‘ sports, there are two types of fighters. One type can be considered radicals, like Mike Tyson, Israel Adesanya, and Conor McGregor, known for their trash-talking persona. The other, like Alex Pereira and former UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, never believed in disrespect. This is why, along with his astonishing record in MMA history, Nurmagomedov holds a special place in his fans’ hearts.

However, when Khamzat Chimaev entered the UFC, many thought they had found Khabib 2.0 but the fact was they were mistaken. As many fans and critics now see, Chimaev is a blend of personalities alike Conor McGregor and Khabib, both for his skills and trash-talking. And according to the fighter himself, Young Chimaev made many mistakes, and now when he looks back, as he disclosed in a recent interview with Adam Zubayrave on YouTube, he recalls those as errors, claiming he was immature at that time.

Borz stated, “Remember when Shara Bullet was asked about Khamzat Chimaev? I was asked the same kind of question about Khabib when I was at the start of my career, like, “Would you fight him?” Of course, we would have never fought each other. We belong to different weight classes. I compete at 185, and back then, I was at 170, but any significant size difference aside, Khabib had already retired by that time. I was young and lacked performance.”

However, although Chimaev has realized his mistake, his remarks had initially sent shockwaves through the MMA community. This was especially true since Nurmagomedov had already announced his retirement and was looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life after losing his father to COVID complications.

During a media interview at his MMA promotion, Eagle FC, Nurmagomedov addressed Chimaev’s comments and expressed his frustration, stating, “No, I wasn’t. I’ve never met him; we’ve spoken on the phone. You’re only disappointed in someone when you expect a certain type of response from them. I never expected anything from this person. It’s his right; if he thinks what he said was necessary, let him say what he wants. Those questions are for him.”

When further asked by the reporter if he was looking forward to facing Chimaev, Nurmagomedov firmly dismissed the rumors, claiming, “Well, I think I won’t. But when you get insulted by any person, it’s not received well, you know.”

What are your thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev’s remarks? Do you believe Khabib Nurmagomedov will forgive Chimaev’s past mistakes? Drop your opinion below.