"I have the same question for Dana White" - Khamzat Chimaev left confused by his extended absence from the octagon

Khamzat Chimaev is set to take on Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294 this weekend.

'Borz' will be setting foot inside the octagon for the first time in over a year, with his previous fight coming against Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in September 2022.

Chimaev submitted Holland inside three minutes of Round 1 and appeared to take no damage during the fight. Despite this, the touted title prospect sat on the sidelines for over 12 months, with fans left confused about his lengthy absence.

During his pre-fight media scrum at UFC 294, Khamzat Chimaev was asked to share the reasons behind his period of inactivity.

'Borz' stated that he had asked for numerous opponents since his clash with Holland and did not seem to know why he had been out for so long.

Khamzat Chimaev said:

"I don't know man. I have the same question for you guys, for Dana White, for the UFC. I can show you a lot of messages to these guys [saying], 'Give me a fight, give me a fight.' I want to fight with the best guys. They want to put me with somebody with a name, not with the guys who are nobodies... It's not fun to watch if I'm gonna smash somebody that nobody knows. It's not gonna make money for the UFC, that's why I think I've been held for a long time."

Watch the video below from 4:08:

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Conor McGregor shares his thoughts as Khamzat Chimaev returns at UFC 294

Khamzat Chimaev will face off against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 after the Chechen-born fighter's original opponent, Paulo Costa, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury.

Chimaev will be making a return to middleweight this weekend, with his previous appearance in the division coming in 2020. The move upward comes after 'Borz' missed the welterweight limit by over seven pounds before his scheduled bout with Nate Diaz last year.

Khamzat Chimaev was without doubt one of the biggest fighters in the welterweight division, and many, including Conor McGregor, expect his move to middleweight to serve him well.

'The Notorious' recently shared his thoughts on Chimaev's return, saying:

"A much better fighter at 185. But he must face bigger opponents now, albeit not this fight as he faces a 170 on a steep skid. But he himself gets to weigh-in the bigger weight. A perfect fight for the Chechen. I am excited to see this story unfold."

See the post below: