Dana White knows how to spot a star. That is why the UFC CEO has never lost faith in Khamzat Chimaev despite the middleweight star’s horrible year plagued with the infamy of injuries and health scares leading up to the UFC 308 Robert Whittaker fight last month. This led some fans to despair and fear that the Chechnya native had lost the will to fight because of all the money and fame. But not the head honcho, who stuck with the undefeated superstar and praised him even when he was pulling out of fights left and right. Perhaps White saw a side of ‘Borz’ that the fans couldn’t see. And that apparently goes both ways.

Speaking to YouTuber ‘Eye Am Podcast’ in a recent interview, Chimaev revealed that he saw a side of White that not many get to see. “Before I got to the UFC, I thought this guy like… I had a different picture in my mind [when] I met him like in real life. And when I saw him, went to dinner and like, when we finished the dinner, he was just giving to the guys who’s working there like $500, you know… He helps the people I like, you know. So he has the money and you give it to people who [are] working, like trying to make money,” he said.

In addition, ‘Borz’ opened up about how the UFC had helped him every step of the way, especially over the past year, when in career was facing setbacks one after the other.

“It’s good always been a good relationship with the UFC, never had any problems. They helped me a lot as well, you know. So when I was sick, they took me to Vegas and helped me with the doctors and whatever is it. They help, they’ve always been helpful and always been good with [me],” he added. The UFC may just become even more generous to the Chechen wolf if he decides to do what the middleweight champ, and indeed the fans, are calling on him to do.

Dricus Du Plessis opens up about his next title defense

Officially, Sean Strickland is in line to fight middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis next. However, the champ is apparently very impressed with Chimaev’s fantastic UFC 308 victory and has been calling on the UFC to give ‘Borz’ the title shot next. Why? Well because the South African feels a scrap against Chimaev will be infinitely more entertaining than a Strickland rematch.

After all, Strickland-Du Plessis 1, while incredibly close, was a high-level technical striking masterclass, which is not surprising given the American’s fighting style. On the other hand, Chimaev’s go-for-the-kill from the first bell approach promises much more action against the South African’s all-out-offense style of fighting. “An immovable object against an unstoppable force” as they say!

On the other hand, ‘DDP’ has also clarified that he wouldn’t refuse a rematch with Sean Strickland if the UFC so wanted. But more than anything else, Du Plessis “can’t wait” to take the undefeated Chimaev’s ‘O’. Unfortunately for ‘Tarzan’, the fans seem to agree with ‘DDP’. What are your thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev’s revelations about Dana White’s generosity and who is next in line for the 185lbs gold?