'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev turned down the offer to fight Luke Rockhold because he didn't want the bout to be a five-round contest.
Chimaev hasn't stepped inside the UFC octagon since his highlight-reel knockout of Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 11. The event was held in Las Vegas last September.
Sonnen recently uploaded a video to his YouTube, where he speculated about why the Chechen-born fighter apparently refused to fight Rockhold.
"He (Khamzat Chimaev) is coming back from a very serious, very public case of COVID, where he didn't know if he would ever fight again, didn't know if he could ever even train again. He was having respiratory issues. It struck me at the time when this guy comes back. He needs to be responsible," said Sonnen.
Khamzat Chimaev is well known for accepting fights on short notice, which captivates Sonnen. 'The American Gangster' suggested that Chimaev's gimmick of fighting anyone at any time is fascinating, but he warned that he shouldn't exceed his limits.
"When you're living a character and that character has caught on, it's very hard. You'll protect that identity with anything you can do. It's very responsible for him to step in and go 'guys, everything you're saying is cool. I got to have three rounds. I just went through something I could barely even breathe and that was without working out. I was sitting perfectly still. I was laying in bed and I could barely breathe. I got to have three rounds'."
"I remember reading what he was going through and thinking 'when he comes back, he needs to be cautious to not go on the main event'. I don't believe that we should grade him down for that."
Khamzat Chimaev wants to fight four times in 2021
Khamzat Chimaev is now willing to make up for the time he has been on the sidelines.
In May this year, 'Borz' tweeted that he wants to return to the UFC in August and fight three more times in this year's remaining months.
After recovering from COVID-19, Khamzat Chimaev considered retiring from MMA.
The 27-year-old posted a photo to his Instagram and suggested that he may never be fully fit to compete again. He also thanked the UFC for giving him the opportunity to fight under the banner.
