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Khamzat Chimaev recently questioned Dana White's stance following a sudden U-turn on the promised title shot.
The undefeated Chechen has been absent from the octagon since his victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 last October.
'Borz' encountered a setback with a torn ligament in his hand during that bout, followed by a week-long hospitalization due to a subsequent lung infection. Despite these challenges, he has resumed training and is eager to secure a title fight.
During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Chimaev criticized the UFC CEO, accusing him of seemingly reneging on a commitment to grant him the next shot at the middleweight title following his victory over Usman. He said:
"All these guys have fought each other, and only me is undefeated, undisputed, 13-0. They promised me, that after the Usman fight, I will for sure fight for the title. I won that fight, so I don't know what's going on. I heard Dana White say, 'I don't think Khamzat is next for the title.' That's bullsh*t, man. If you promise me something, you have to answer it."
He added:
"I’m the guy who always answers for my words so I don’t care if it’s some president or something, like a king. If you give me your word, you have to answer for that."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (4:00):
Leading up to Chimaev's bout against 'The Nigerian Nightmare', White had asserted that the victor would secure an opportunity at the 185-pound title.
However, during the UFC 297 post-fight press conference, White changed course on that commitment, stating that the next title challenger has not been decided.
Khamzat Chimaev unimpressed by Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis
Dricus du Plessis dethroned the reigning 185-pound champion Sean Strickland in a thrilling and evenly contested main event at UFC 297 last weekend at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
However, in the same ESPN MMA interview, Khamzat Chimaev shared his take on the title fight between Strickland and du Plessis:
"For me, Strickland won the fight, but it was a close fight. But it was nothing special. Nothing that made me think these guys are somebody. I see I can finish them both ... I go to a fight, I always try to finish somebody. I didn't see one of them going crazy trying to finish. They were both going for five rounds." (0:40)
