New Khamzat interview in Swedish newspaper

[Memnok]

I wonder if they have made a decision already, but the UFC can’t decide where they want him.

Khamzat always says he just wants to fight, but that can just be some mumbo jumbo to keep his name in the spotlight.

Of course I don't know what his contract looks like but I would be suprised if the UFC did not have the right to put him in matches much more often than they do. I agree that the UFC are unsure about what to do with him.

I mean a catchweight fight against Usman doesn't really build any forward momentum towards a title shot. It doesn't merit one at WW since they didn't fight at that weight and it doesn't merit one at MW because he first needs to fight a top ranked MW. Maybe the UFC want him to win the MW belt first and then move up and this is a way of not making him cut to MW that many times.

 

[PhilMcCavity]

If chimaev called kadyrov a filthy prick kadyrov would kidnap his family members and cut off their legs off. Chimaev is between a rock and a hard place and these “reporters” want to paint him in a negative light for not criticizing kadyrov. I mean when I hear kadyrov’s name I don’t think to myself “what a punk” I think to myself the guys a friggin warrior.

 

[Memnok]

"The 29-year-old, who has three WC gold medals in wrestling on his track record, is now considered one of the world's top UFC fighters in the welterweight weight class."

He has 3 Swedish national titles on his track record, zero WC medals of any kind. FYI

This must be a translation error from google, I checked the Swedish article again and it says:
"The 29-year-old, who has three Swedish championship gold medals ("SM-guld" in Swedish) in wrestling on his track record, is now considered one of the world's top UFC fighters in the welterweight weight class"

 

[Dimbis]

Of course I don't know what his contract looks like but I would be suprised if the UFC did not have the right to put him in matches much more often than they do. I agree that the UFC are unsure about what to do with him.

I mean a catchweight fight against Usman doesn't really build any forward momentum towards a title shot. It doesn't merit one at WW since they didn't fight at that weight and it doesn't merit one at MW because he first needs to fight a top ranked MW. Maybe the UFC want him to win the MW belt first and then move up and this is a way of not making him cut to MW that many times.

I do agree with you that catchweight doesn’t build the momentum for either division, but we’ve seen it before with UFC “stars” jumping the line because a fighter beats someone in a different weight class. I just wish we could get a definitive answer since we haven’t heard much about Khamzat since his last fight. I wonder who is to blame.

 

[lsa]

Yes, the interviewer kind of expects Khamzat to politically distance himself from Kadyrov. Guess you don't think along the lines of "that might be kind of dangerous" if you are born and raised in Sweden....

Or it has to do with the Ukraine war since Kadys people are fighting there on Russias side.
Sweden has boycotted companies that deals with Russia, companies has left Russia. So I would guess this has partly to do with that,


It might be dangerous, yeah? A lot of things are.
But why take a stance if you dont have too and against a dude that finance you.

 

[Canadian Kicker]

I wonder if they have made a decision already, but the UFC can’t decide where they want him.

Khamzat always says he just wants to fight, but that can just be some mumbo jumbo to keep his name in the spotlight.

I think its more who he is actually willing to fight versus who they are actually willing to give him.

He says he wants to fight but only if its a Champion or #1 contender. If he was willing to take on anyone in top 15 he would have fought months ago.
Usman is probably the only top 5 guy in either division they are willing to waste on this match.

 

[Fight Professor]

He’s right, visiting Kadyrov isn’t much different than visiting Joe Biden or Dana White(the latter might be the worst of all).

There is this human rights issue for some people.

I guess it isn’t much different than visiting Dana.

 

[PattyBates]

Funny that the writer who has never been to Chechnya hates Kadyrov, while the actual Chechen LOVES him. RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA

Using fancy words like dictator and expressing ties to Putin makes him a serial killer monster. As opposed to the current US regime that punishes political opponents and allows torture in Guantanamo. Propaganda.

 

[Sincere Guy]

What that shitty war talk has to do with anything? He is a fighter, God dammit. Let him be.

 

[Conan the K-9]

This must be a translation error from google, I checked the Swedish article again and it says:
"The 29-year-old, who has three Swedish championship gold medals ("SM-guld" in Swedish) in wrestling on his track record, is now considered one of the world's top UFC fighters in the welterweight weight class"

I think he has 3 SM medals in freestyle from 2015 -86kg, 2016 -86kg and 2018 -92kg. But we need to remember that the level for creco wrestling is better in Sweden than for freestyle…

 

[bunt]

I find it hard to believe its Khamzats choice not to fight. These dudes get paid to fight, the guys an animal in the cage and takes very little damage.

The ufc could just feed him cans if they want him to align with whatever bullshit marketing schedule they have in UAE. Let him bang bro.

 

[Feniamin]

Funny that the writer who has never been to Chechnya hates Kadyrov, while the actual Chechen LOVES him. RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA

I think there is more than 100 ethnic Chechen mma fighters from European countries, not counting ex-USSR countries. They love Kadyrov that much so they decided to live in Poland, Austria and other countries?

 

[Neck&Neck]

Did KadyDaddy make him go back to Chechnya?

 

[DrTrouble]

So it will be more than 1 year since he has last fought if/when he fights Usman. That is the most interesting thing to me, what's the delay about?

Sounds like the delay is Kham wants it at 82kilo (180lbs) and Usman only wants it 175lbs.

So essentially Kham wants a WW to fight at almost middleweight. How do you Kham huggers support this nonsense? Either fight at WW or MW. Why make a WW fight at a catchweight? Where does that put Kham if he wins? Does it give you Kham huggers more ammunition to say since he beat Usman and Kevin Holland at a catchweight he should be next in line at both WW and MW?

 

[Tweak896]

We'll know more when Khamzat finally has a match set and shows up and everything goes as normal. It's so bizarre that it's a mystery. If Khamzat has decided for MW, he needs to focus on MW top 5. If not 170lbs against Usman as a last chance for WW to make weight.

 

[goOb]

Sounds like the delay is Kham wants it at 82kilo (180lbs) and Usman only wants it 175lbs.

So essentially Kham wants a WW to fight at almost middleweight. How do you Kham huggers support this nonsense? Either fight at WW or MW. Why make a WW fight at a catchweight? Where does that put Kham if he wins? Does it give you Kham huggers more ammunition to say since he beat Usman and Kevin Holland at a catchweight he should be next in line at both WW and MW?

The delay I am talking about it the 1 year break.

 

[Last Falconry]

Pick a weight class, make weight, and fight someone. Is there anyone that isn’t bored of this yet? So tedious

 

[DrTrouble]

The delay I am talking about it the 1 year break.

That's the million dollars question we all want to know.

 

[PurpleDrank]

The delay I am talking about it the 1 year break.

Its probably just the UFC model. Khamzats a star meaning he'll likely only fight twice a year. So after the fight in September hes either fighting 2023 spring or Abu Dhabi. The question is why didnt he fight in spring. Thats up in the air and for all we know the UFC tried to get him a fight and failed, who knows why. What we do know is that Khamzat wants to fight as often as possible so I put the blame on the UFC. Either in their inability to find someone that makes sense whos willing to take it, or them finding someone and not pulling the trigger for some sort of logistical reason.

 

[goOb]

That's the million dollars question we all want to know.

The guy misses weight, his fight with Diaz is over, both guys get new opponents. He winds up destroying his new opponent, Kevin Holland. Gains a lot more hype, then falls off the MMA scene for more than 1 year. Don't we have some undercover Sherbro in his camp? What is happening to this place?!?!