Khamzat Chimaev Interview: Du Plessis vs. Strickland reaction, title shot promise & more | ESPN MMA Brett Okamoto conducts an …
what’s up everybody Brett okamoto from ESPN joined by UFC middleweight hamzat shamayev who is in Dubai right now uh want to get all of the updates on you hams out on your life on your training what’s going on with your career but I guess first things first obviously I reached out to you to talk about UFC 297 the main event between Sean Strickland and Drake is dupy what uh what did you think of the five round fight between those two I accept that fight like should be like that so nothing special you know some so I think like 5050 could be go which side the CH maybe it’s right maybe not I don’t know for me St W the fight but that was close fight for both but nothing special nothing making me like this guy somebody else so they both is has lot of things I can see like I can finish them you know so so when when’s the last time you did see something special I feel like every time you watch fights with guys that you may fight in the future you’re like Ah that’s nothing special does anyone have anything special yeah of course and a lot of guys has a lot of special things you know so max H one of the guys from special I so never give up you know like always going nobody throw out so many punches like you know that’s the special so like some guys only punch 50 times and he have 500 times you know that big differ and is special and the John John as well like yeah special things well a lot of guys lot of guys you know why did you why did you think Shawn won you said it was close but did you feel pretty good about Shawn winning or do you felt like it like first two rounds he won totally and like then second fight and fourth fight fourth round and and they think the other guy won last fight more I think St on is is how I think I don’t know so Jud I’m not judg you so they they see it’s better than me maybe so I don’t know that was really Pro fight I feel like they both got credit for you know saying that they were going to go to war and then that’s that’s kind of what everybody was saying is that they promised a war and they gave a war you didn’t think it was a war don’t know that was good fight good fight for both now so but the same time say nothing that special so just like hard sporing like you can say know so some take Downs he come up and then nobody tried to finish anyone that’s why it’s not the anything special with that so if I can if I go in the fight like I try to finish if it doesn’t Works doesn’t works I always trying to finish somebody those two guys that just weren’t trying to just win the fight you know so I didn’t see them like ah that guy want going crazy and trying to finish somebody you know so they both was going for the five rounds so when you’re when you’re watching that when you’re watching that fight are you thinking is I’m I’m I’m fighting the winner I what is your what is your status and like are you very confident you’re fighting the winner do you feel tied to that that event I don’t know who gonna fight them else you know so the Israel is out it’s say I don’t know when he’s coming back 27 what is it 2027 or something years and all these guys fight each other only me who is undefeated undefeated undefeated like you know 13 or all like so I don’t know well they as they they Pro promised me after this fight after Usman fight you will for sure gonna fight for the title and I I win that fight and I don’t know what’s going on I hit some D white say like I don’t think com that for for next for the title and so that’s the [ __ ] man so if you promised me something you have to answer forwards so I am the guy who I always answer for my words so I don’t care if it’s some president or somebody like King and if you give me a word he has answer for that so you know so and grow up like when I give the word so you have to answer and if you’re going to die try to answer that word so we’re doing that so I will be happy to answer for my word that being killed man so we’ll see maybe in US say it’s like different mentality and I don’t know now guys I would be surprised if that happens if somebody fight next not me so yeah we’ll see I don’t I didn’t talk with Donna and I don’t know what what he thinking he know it’s better than me and he time with this game he’s open this game as well so saying we’ll see for sure I going to be I’m think like in my mind it should be me I as them fight let let me fight and Hunter I asked Hunter like let me fight UC 300 we’ll see what they say when did you ask him that before this fight before this one and you just you just text him directly or do you call Hunter Campbell what’s the no I was the in the gym just training just and I feel SC I was sick now before as like long time before so they was asking me that time so I said my manager let me be healthy first and then we talk so when I feel my health is was good you know so I was the gym training it’s just right time so I will be ready M they give me the fight and so I don’t know so so they did so be before they before they made the Shawn and drus fight they did come to you and see if you were available to fight Shawn and that’s when you said that you were um they didn’t say the names they said like if these guys just I don’t know what they mean with these guys if somebody they going to fight soon and if they’re ready and they didn’t said just ready I said yes now I didn’t say I I said to my manager let me be healthy first one day I I said let me be healthy first then I was sick that time hospital so and that people seeing the pictures how sick I was so I was the gy when I feel some can train hard health is good so I said that let’s go you the fight you’ll see I’m training every day normally I do when when was all that when were when were you sick and yeah I saw the photos but what happened to you it was one month ago I become a good night so not not so I I I was sick like four or five weeks I was in hospital like more than one week and there there was some infection and some [ __ ] stuff happening I don’t know I never had something crazy like that that was for me worse than Corona so I had the favor 14 like don’t going down always there some vitamins that give me like get down my favorite tablets all this [ __ ] you know so yeah I fight always with some [ __ ] so born for that well yeah I mean you dealt with the covid and then this like did they even tell you like what was it what were you Di then they give me some name some different infection lung infection there was one name I don’t remember what the name of the [ __ ] so they they said usually people get that when they kid a young like age five6 so I get that one they said this is the worst when you get when you’re old so that was big [ __ ] if if uh if they if they come back and they they make something else with uh with draus why do you think that they would do that like why if you’re telling them that you’re ready for UFC 300 like what is the issue it just feels I think that this confuses people they’re just like if the UFC wants hamzat to fight and hamzat wants to fight why aren’t we seeing hamzat fight like what what is your what is going on here like if you tell them that you’re ready for uc300 why wouldn’t it happen uh if you’re asking me or that I guess well I’m asking you because you’re the one I’m talking to right now but why what like I mean I mean brother like they give me I don’t know how many fights I has in you see seven fights I never chose my opponents like there some people say you fight usma who was fighting like 175 or something like that I was fighting like biggest guy in this Division and the guy jump out he had some surgery some [ __ ] I don’t know and uh yeah I didn’t choose the in couple of days the Usman they choice for me because I always accept my manager yeah you fighting Usman he PS me that okay that’s it I didn’t didn’t ask but never asked me like calling me like brother you want to fight this guy you want don’t fight so always because they know I always say yes when I healthy when everything is good good shape like you know no surgeries I always ready in the fights no so I I don’t care people thinking like I’m joking fighting like Brock Lesnar like thinking fighting John John I’m don’t mind if I lose man so I the human I can lose everything can happen but fight is a fight is funny thing for me I can do with my life you know so I’m happy in the cage if somebody punch me if I punch them is I’m blading no so that’s the war for me and I feel me like all time you know like the when the people are killing each other so I like to be the war you know always so my my my all my life been tough for me you know I had lot of surg lot operations you know so being in hospital many times so went through a lot of [ __ ] you know so I don’t think anyone went through the the things I went to so I don’t try to say I’m tough guy is that lot of tough guys there as well but I’m different guy man they should leave it for me so because I never said them now I never said to them like give me this guy anything I ask them just the Champs because I want to get the CH be half of the Bel me you know so when you when you have a belt then you get the big money when it don’t how it it’s not that big money so for sure I’m making more money on these two champs you know so everyone knows that so these guys don’t make more money than me anyway they’re Champs but they don’t make half money and like I make so but I wants to make more money so that’s why they should give it there money fight people knows me more than these guys you’re going to go to social media and these guys have like 400,000 social media that people who’s watching them a couple of millions you know so they should get that that that that just we thinking about the business that’s good because a lot of people gonna watch that yeah I one of people want to see me also the guys talking about no sense no sense what the [ __ ] you talking about what makes sense you fighter me fighter if you fight that makes a fight who makes money you in your division a famous Almost Famous guy after the easy easy has lot of more me also that being a champ if I become a champ I will be more famous and easy know so and I make more money and for the UC as well yeah when the last fight lot of [ __ ] things happening so I couldn’t be focusing on like a lot of things [ __ ] things happen this world thing see in the pictures all these things on my life going on some [ __ ] this world so about my coach you know like I didn’t talk about all the [ __ ] things you know so like kind of trying to find for exclusive if you do that you wouldn’t have to this I finish this that yeah it’s my choice I did the wrong things I had some [ __ ] in my life so going to change all these things now go for the world and kill somebody you know so has to be next to me you don’t have to go into like anything personal that was going on in your life but uh is are things like back where they were like are you are you with are you you’re with all stars are you with you with like uh the coaches that you’ve always been with or has your training changed quite a bit it’s always been my coaches you know always gonna be my coaches from day one we thought we’re going to finish together but we had some problems with my head coach apprach so not problems I gu like he wants to I wants to that just show for him for me like I can win the fight you know like just go by and fight somebody that a big mistake but it’s not like when you don’t have a one hand it’s hard to fight you know so it’s coach your right hand you need to coach right coach you know so yeah and like lot of different coaches lot of different you know trying to one coach saying this other coach saying this and somebody wants to be my coach everyone was thinking I left my coach you know I didn’t left my coach Never Gonna left somebody you know so always will be from day one to last day till I died so my coach been always loyal to me I’ve been always loyal to him so and people thinking like we left it each other no we had some problems we Sly and come back I I’m just I’m just gonna I’m just going to say because you and I have had a lot of conversations I feel like we know each other I feel like I’ve I’ve I’ve talked to you throughout you know a this entire UFC career and there’s been this feeling that like uh I mean you know everybody knows that you have a ton of potential that you look like you could be the best fighter in the world but it just seems like um and some of it’s been health related but others have has been just like is is it is it going to like are you going to like get pulled away from fighting in different directions like like the distractions that you talk about like um why are you not fighting more frequently I mean like just like like what do you need in order to just like get back to like that HS out of like we’re gonna see him fight all the time and we’re going to see him reach his potential like what needs to happen that’s white man ask these guys when I healthy when I in good shape when I train train they never me like one year I was off it’s not my problem somebody said ham has some problems like family I don’t remember who was that somebody said these the different things coming up Visa all these [ __ ] I never had any problems I was ready so I don’t know what they was waiting I missed once all my career the wait and the wait we knew before day before we’re GNA fight different guy it wasn’t like like people saying oh you miss the you miss the Pao Costa miss the weight always man he five six times he missed the way nobody talks about that [ __ ] everyone that cares about my [ __ ] you know so if you care that much about my [ __ ] talk all my [ __ ] with you you know so I say to these guys yeah if I’m open for go down 175 is well just fight for the best you know I don’t know why they holding me now so long time maybe they scar I don’t know so I told the guys I know not going to finish after the B so maybe they scared because they’re thinking like oh he going to finish the guy like career or going to go from the B and that I here for long man so it my heart working is really fighting cage man I I want to get your thoughts on uh like draus is not the first one to say it but he’s like uh I mean Sean said it as well they both said it they’re like this guy hasn’t earned it and I will say that they’re not wrong that you have not beaten you know one of those top five guys at middleweight so for you I want to know why you believe why why are they wrong in addition to the money why are they wrong ask that guy who was beating you up every day in the gym huh so how many times I saw meet that guy how many times I beat him up he went to his coach man he went to his coach please tell the guy man go easy go easy and the guy going with this different he said like I went crazy with this guys who is going 166 or this [ __ ] man he’s lying man he’s lying he trying to like he say I’m man I’m this I that I’m against the G he’s trying to be a MCH man you’re not MCH man when I punched your heart you went to your coach and said please tell the guy going easy easy no [ __ ] off man what you talking about I beat your up was running from me I be in his home I be in him gym nobody never comes to my gym and trying to beat me up you know did you see anyone did you heard anyone coming to my gym and trying to beat me up I went to all these guys I went to all the gyms I’ve been everywhere I’m not scar anyone so I beat up all of them I never so I not remember I lose my sparring and also yeah maybe lose some minutes some rounds and always win my rounds yeah I always win my sping MH and the guy knows you know that’s why I’m talking of course he is good for him if don’t fight me that’s why he has to talk like that and that smoke or I don’t know with like some C weird guy like with the Su glasses and some clone man he is also like was asking yeah I’m seeing some you being some meat from Hamza and he trying to turn the question know of course I’m that some meeting I have some meeting every day man so now he’s saying is like this fight he never fight with somebody like being in the this Division I fight twice in this division the people think I never fight that that Division I fight in UFC twice in this division Jared M was this white class the first fight was this white class and yeah I don’t know what they talking about every want trying to run it for me and Al trying to don’t fight with me I understand man who doesn’t want to lose nobody want to lose but don’t be a chicken try to win I am the human as well don’t be scared if if they if they go if they go with draus and and Israel Sonna which it looks like that would be their other option what are you going to do what what are you what are you going to call what are you g to ask for like what are you going to do if they go that route if not like I don’t know can’t wait so what you GNA do I beat them all I make them scare them all the guys who is like nobody they calling me out nobody real nobody they beats nobody they come just come to the UC they calls me out you know so this is not make sense they don’t have a name they can’t make n money with the Sheep Fighters you know so if there’s some good fight some big name if they give me big money so of course I don’t care about the [ __ ] belt know so I’m coming for you for give the food for family and help the people so their biggest things for me I doesn’t want to be the champ with the this metal [ __ ] you know so like it’s about no nothing for me you know like for me is more thing I want to be the Champ for the people helping the people I will be recognizing like I’m helping the people doing good things yeah I’m crazy guy I’m doing crazy things in the cage and Fighters you know fight outside some sh happening well I’m I think it’s I’m the guy who’s always gonna go through hard tough things and gonna help some lot of people with that so let’s see how is uh how was the rest of life outside of fighting I saw you were in London how was seeing Darren till anything good about uh seeing Darren over in London and and what else are you are you working on this always happy to see that guy my become my best friend my brother and he really nice guy it’s like there are people seeing like us you know like me D crazy guys C CH guys you know like going crazy people running wild especially everybody brother he’s that he’s good guy good family guy loves his family helping people as well so young guys supporting them helping them give the money and sponsor know always been good guy know so but in the fight we all all crazy him me so he’s going for the boxing I heard with his other guy he was in the UC as well he’s lighting better Mike Perry Mike Perry yes Mike Perry I like that guy as well he’s tough guy yeah I heard that I don’t know it’s 100% sure not maybe maybe I said the first time they’re gonna fight so I don’t know I think they’ve kind of talked they’ve kind of talked about it before but uh I don’t think it would surprise anybody if those two ended up fighting in bare knuckle uh you enjoying Dubai is that where you’re going to stay is that is that where you are life is you know like just training focusing on your life and your family you know not it was I before the fighting I had this lot of Feit lot of good bad friends in Sweden you know but I never accept like gonna be the E just my friend Bing me to the gym and since that we start to think about that before that you know like yeah lot of ganger feets also so better to just focus on the training and fight you know and uh you’re launching fragrance fragrance lines cologne perfume smash smash good before you smash somebody that that’s great that’s it’s going good I accept it will be go good you know like a lot of people asking buying this [ __ ] man so yes it smells really nice actually so not that [ __ ] like just trying to make money you know so I choose I choose how GNA smell know so I like that one I using it every day so a a lot of people asking me what is that what is that so say go the link man so just bu give me some money did you did uh did you come up with that line smell good before you smash somebody was that you or did someone else come up with that no it’s me it’s me I said I think it was before the fight before the I said that just SC my head something you know I just sa my yeah it’s more my one well uh it’s always great catching up with you man and it’s good to see that you’re in Dubai and that it sounds like life is is where you want it and you’re healthy what I guess what do you think is going to happen I mean Dana White said that he he expects to announce UFC 300 this week and if you’re sitting here and you haven’t talked to him then I kind of wonder if you’re going to be in it what do you think is going to happen here I don’t know what he’s accepting right what’s what’s he thinking about I’m so I’m thinking about only just for the belt so it’s more bigger for money for me so big money for so I should be next he because I never said like no for somebody you know the people said he beats usma from 170 hey you beat it he beat the CH sand as well man he been the p pa number one is’s not like guy from the streets just coming to the cage man it’s been eight years unbeaten so the GU is like nobody beats and nobody take could take down that guy you know so he broke a lot of guys you know tough guy tough guy smart guy so he was different intellect who I met before The Other Guys wasn’t like same like Usman he has good mind he was like waiting and other guys could give up when I took the neck he was 100% sure i’ never accept somebody gotta fall down FR side so I now it’s finished I was in my head he wasis with that [ __ ] yeah yeah I hope so I hope so it’s gonna be for the St otherwise he has to give me double money so anyway after like I said I care about the only money now I can buy that b with my you know I’m not care about this [ __ ] everyone saying like I’m here for history for this [ __ ] I don’t need any history from this [ __ ] you know I just want to fight and make money you know if you had if you had to guess and last last thing and then I’ll let you go if you had to guess how many how many fights you have left in your career like where’s your head at like a 100 or like like uh you know I just want big money fights so maybe five 10 I hope so I hope so 100 F how much money is it y crazy oh I don’t know in my mind I never had some picture like I gotta fight so many times so how many times it’s possible you know everyone G to get old you know so I’m still 29 so maybe like 10 n eight years Luc see should be here has to be here not that yet I it’s a good life for my mom my father for my brother and for my sisters and then I has a you know like my other young brothers from different Ms they get they from different families I take my brothers I want to build them houses where they was training and helping me and I for that so I need a lot of people to help and bring the houses make them good life so yeah still I’m not finish I’m far away from finishing this [ __ ] yeah yeah I like the money I like the fight it’s perfect job for me it is well I I I hope you get some news man I hope you get some news about a fight and then we can all get the news as well because I’m I I want to see you compete I think like the sport they want to see you compete you want to compete I hope it happens very soon for I’m I’m ready for uc300 just let me know you know give me somebody like or not somebody like give me like this title shot or you give me somebody else then give me double money if you promised me it’s not for me not for me not for you and like that should be like double money or should be the for the belt you know if you want to give up for the these works from you said you know so I’ll leave I’ll leave those conversations for Dana and Hunter you can you can have that conversation with them then yeah we’ll see what they happen maybe there I don’t know that now it’s better you know you guys being long time he’s saying some things make fight bigger fight for me and maybe we’ll see well thank you man thank you for taking the time and I’ll stay in touch with you and and we’ll see what’s next yeah we’ll see thank you thank you br thank [Applause] [Music] you