"It's impossible to respect him as a person" - Khamzat Chimaev takes a dig at Conor McGregor, says he likes the Irishman as an athlete

Khamzat Chimaev says he respects Conor McGregor as an athlete but not as a person.

McGregor is currently out of action due to a leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 in July this year. Since then, the Irishman has consistently landed in controversy. In recent weeks, he had a tussle with American rapper Machine Gun Kelly at the MTV Video Music Awards and allegedly attacked an Italian DJ in a Rome nightclub.

Speaking on the Zuba TV YouTube channel, 'Borz' said that while McGregor's achievements in the UFC are incredible, it's impossible to respect him as a person.

"Yes, he [McGregor] achieved everything in the UFC. He was a champion in two weight classes. [For] this, I respect him. But it is impossible to respect him as a person."

Watch Khamzat Chimaev speak about Conor McGregor below:

The unbeaten Chimaev holds a 9-0 record in his professional MMA career. He has competed at middleweight and welterweight. The Russian-born Swede won a Performance of the Night bonus in all three of his UFC fights to date

The 27-year-old also boasts the record for the quickest three-bout winning streak in modern UFC history at just 66 days.

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Khamzat Chimaev is scheduled to take on Li Jingliang at UFC 267

The returning Khamzat Chimaev will square off against No.11-ranked welterweight contender Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi on October 30.

The fight will mark Chimaev's return to the octagon after more than a year. 'Borz' tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of a planned fight with Leon Edwards. Complications and long-lasting effects of the virus have kept the 27-year-old out for the whole of 2021 to date.

He even announced his retirement from the sport in haste, eventually taking back the decision.

Chimaev was in the top-15 welterweight rankings at one point. However, he dropped out due to inactivity. A win over Jingliang next weekend will make him a ranked 170-pound contender again.