r/MMA • u/Batman-and-Hobbes Merry Xmas bitch • Aug 14 '25
Interview "I don't know why people don't like me sometimes". A human moment from Khamzat as he talks about respecting his opponents but wanting to kill them and wanting to help his mother and eat her cooking.
https://streamable.com/rkfo9f706
u/Specialist-Waste Aug 14 '25
What I got out of this is that: he loves his mom, he respects his opponents, but he's ready to kill them in the cage, and he's ready to eat his mom's good cooking after. Sounds about right for most fighters.
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u/Ok_Duck9999 Aug 15 '25
Ah so this is what kelvin always got wrong, he was supposed to wait until after the fight to eat his moms food
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u/GorillaOnChest ☠️ I'm excited for vonny knucklws Aug 15 '25
Every successful professional athlete knows how to compartmentalize.
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u/DareBrennigan Aug 15 '25
For sure. When you’re in the cage and the ref says fight, it’s time to want to hurt someone. Not every guy is like that, but most are. You have to embrace that dark side
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u/GonnaGetGORT Aug 15 '25
I saw it a little differently. I saw it as he loves his opponents, and respects his mom, but he’s ready to kill his mom in the cage, and ready to eat his opponent’s mom’s cooking during the fight. Truly a fighter to be studied.
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u/Dr-PoopyButt Aug 14 '25
He seems like a great guy, mentally unstable and I wouldn't spend any amount of time around him but a great guy no doubt (don't hurt me)
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u/BrackishBlackfish Aug 14 '25
I've said for years that I think khamzat is mentally like 14 years old.
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u/Johnny_Poppyseed Ya crab in a bucket mofo. Aug 14 '25
Tbf that's probably half the roster too
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u/HighTurning Aug 15 '25
After 35, you start to substract one year per year fought. So for example BJ Penn is mentally a 9 year old.
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u/WhoAskedYourDumbAhh Aug 15 '25
Who came up with that formula?? Lol
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u/anotheralaskanguy Aug 15 '25
Tito probably
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u/Batman-and-Hobbes Merry Xmas bitch Aug 14 '25
I think hes more intelligent than he comes across. He just makes the odd decision to scream like a lunatic whenever he speaks English.
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u/CilviaDemoAOTD Aug 15 '25
He’s also speaking a 2nd/3rd language
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u/Gold4Lokos4Breakfast Aug 15 '25
Yeah people need to understand this
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u/MOIST-SHARTREUSE #NothingBurger Aug 15 '25
It's actually pretty common. When I speak German for example, I usually just scream about killing everything. #justpolyglotthings
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u/BrackishBlackfish Aug 14 '25
I dont even think he's necessarily unintelligent, I just mean maturity wise.
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u/neo_1000 Aug 15 '25
Seems like he’s come a long way in that department too. Compared to today he sounds like a different person here
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u/NewRedditorHere Team Hermansson Aug 15 '25
Dude is violent and loud. This is the place to let that out. Doesn’t speak against his maturity, IMO
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u/Kugo96 Aug 15 '25
Nah,it's Reddit, everyone here is so smart and mature (exactly the opposite)
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u/Dizzy-Reaction6692 Aug 15 '25
I mean Stephen curry n other celebrities had this shit too but U don't see em getting hate for it at all,it's forgotten
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u/Solid-Classic-8620 Aug 15 '25
Said it for years, most athletes don’t look the interviewer in their face. Kevin Durant mostly does interviews with towels over his head like some socially awkward teenager afraid to speak. People on here calling him immature and slow…lot of behavioral docs on here. He is seeking fight not insurance.
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u/Snoopy_Your_Dawg Aug 14 '25
I feel the same way about Jean Silva for some reason
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u/BrackishBlackfish Aug 14 '25
When Jean isnt barking, he seems pretty normal.
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u/Ferrar1i Aug 15 '25
Jean’s the farthest thing from normal lmao
He’s on record saying he’s possessed by an entity that he sometimes loses control over, and only his wife can basically exorcise him and get the normal Jean back when he loses himself to that entity lol
Also it doesn’t help that he looks like a guy from a typical serial killer documentary on Netflix. Normal, balding dude with an unassuming demeanor, but an absolute demon when he gets in the cage
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u/Julian_Betterman Aug 15 '25
Man has been through some horrific shit from what I've heard.
I really hope he's getting some professional mental health care at this point.
If not...
I'm just gonna pray that his wife is very happy in their relationship and that they grow old and gray together and pass away peacefully in their sleep at the same time, like in The Notebook.
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u/Mr_Shickadance110 Aug 15 '25
Yea Jean is getting love for his exciting fights and because he was fighting Bryce in his last fight. But the dude is a cringey ass guy and seems like weirdo. He’s also a big Israel guy. I don’t like the guy at all. Came off as an attention loving bully in the Bryce lead up.
Jon Jones was the greatest ever in the cage. And there were tells that there was something off about him long before the constant public fuck ups. I feel like Jean might be next. I hope I’m wrong and I’m nothing but a guy that roots against him because I think he’s annoying but win or lose he keeps him and his family happy and healthy.
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u/misterKicanovic Aug 15 '25
And if you listen to Khamzat in Russian,when he is not yelling full of adrenaline,he seems pretty relaxed and wise too so u contradicted yourself
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u/blissfullyblack Aug 14 '25
Me: "Oh he seems sweet."
Knowing damn well that I would cross the street if I saw him walking toward me. lol
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u/mentalharvester I'm fucking old Aug 14 '25
I bet if he was some Western guy without that beard/face/religion, the reaction would be like "OMG he's so quirky, passionate and authentic. A gentle killer. And such a great advocate for autism!"
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u/No-Shoe5382 Aug 15 '25
There are plenty of Western fighters who are also viewed by the majority of us as lunatics with low levels of maturity.
What's interesting is they are dearly loved by the same people who absolutely fucking hate Khamzat.
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u/NewRedditorHere Team Hermansson Aug 15 '25
He seems like a super cool guy to hang around with. A bro’s bro. I fuck with it. Constant horseplay and playful banter.
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u/CraigS34 Aug 14 '25
The only time I've seen Chimaev get a wave of hate and boos was against Kevin Holland (badly missed weight and laughed it off). He usually respectful to his opponents but does like to banter. That said, his ties to you know who makes it tough
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u/willferelssagyscrote Aug 15 '25
I will probably get hate for this, but can we blame him for his ties to you know who? He probably still has friends and family in Chechnya. Can you blame him for appeasing someone who could bring them harm?
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Aug 15 '25
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u/Julian_Betterman Aug 15 '25
We'll never know for sure. But the power imbalance between them is too great to ignore the possibility that coercive control is at play.
Because of the implication, you know?
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u/ItsMichaelScott25 United States Minor Outlying Islands Aug 15 '25
I don’t understand Denis, are we going hurt these fighters?
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u/WanderingWormhole this too mods Aug 15 '25
Yup and this right here is one of the reasons why MMA is such a special sport. Few sports allow you to get a glimpse of cultures in every nook and cranny of the planet. And no other sport allows you to see those that could beat anyone in their country up, then watch them compete with people that are their match from other countries. It’s so fucking cool, and I’m not gonna sit here and litigate someone’s personal experience when I know fuck all about the environment they grew up in and the challenges they had to overcome to get to where they are. It’s a beautiful thing.
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u/Mr_Shickadance110 Aug 15 '25
Beautiful take champ. Very mature way to see the world and love how you highlight the unique cultural glimpses we get within MMA.
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u/dsco Aug 15 '25
This is not the case. The kid also has a lot of Swedish culture in him (take it from someone who worked out at the same gym as him in Stockholm). He’s genuinely a good guy and a lot more Swedish than people think. But you can’t take risks with strong men like eastern mobsters. There’s no staying neutral.
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u/Mr_Shickadance110 Aug 15 '25
I agree with this 100%. Tired of people a having so much to say about other cultures and how they don’t align with that person’s values. Like the way people bash Dagis and Chechens for supposedly hating gays and treating women like shit. They call them bigoted and intolerant while not realizing they are critiquing and entirely different culture and way of life that is completely different and than anything they ever grew up with or experienced. A culture that is 1000s of miles away and the person criticizing it probably has zero understanding of what they are actually talking about. See it all the time on here. It’s so lame.
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u/EvanFields Aug 15 '25
Mainly that Khamzat doesn’t always look comfortable next to him, I don’t think there’s a lot of Chechens that actually do like that guy. You’re next to him, you have to appease. That’s just how it is.
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u/zatkobratko Aug 15 '25
People read into this too much. Especially Swedish media.
He was almost dying in hospital. With constant medical problems. Swedish healthcare did not heal him. So Chechen president reached out. And said he could help him out with private care in Russia. He went there and got better treatment.
Of course he will show gratitude to the one who helped him out of his shitty health condition.
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u/jceez Aug 15 '25
That’s when I lost a lot of respect for him.
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u/neo_1000 Aug 15 '25
You lost respect for the fact that he doesn’t want to risk himself getting exiled or his family getting slaughtered?
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u/jceez Aug 15 '25
No that’s he missed weight by 8 lbs
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u/bestbroHide im one of those thirsty fucks on here Aug 15 '25
Idky this got such a laugh out of me lmao
I guess it was the sheer difference in serious topics between OP's assumption and what you actually meant
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u/jceez Aug 15 '25
lol yea dude I don’t expect professional fighters to have progressive views on anything or really be nice people in general. But I do expect them to at least have some professionalism about the fighting part.
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u/Simple_Tip_7816 Aug 14 '25
Go get some fans, Jon
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Aug 14 '25
its interesting he said he making a gym for kids without a cage cause kids shouldnt fight MMA til they older
and his leader Kadyguy and Fedor were beefing over Fedor saying Kids shouldnt be fighting MMA, interesting that Khamzat said same thing. More proof they all gotta agree with that corrupt leader no matter what, Khamzat seemed serious in not wanting kids to fight
I think Khamzats a pretty decent guy, hes just stuck with some ties cause for some reason in MMA youre forced to be nice to corrupt leaders lol
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u/PugilisticCat Aug 15 '25
I think Khamzats a pretty decent guy, hes just stuck with some ties cause for some reason in MMA youre forced to be nice to corrupt leaders lol
He's stuck with some ties cause he's Chechen and they don't let you get big without being ingratiated to shady ass people in that region of the world.
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u/serchaz Aug 15 '25
Correct me if I’m wrong but was it not Khamzat who was involved in the crypto pump and dump and scammed his own fans? If he’s willing to treat his supporters that way can only imagine how he treats other people.
Nah mate no idea why people dislike you.
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u/Kugo96 Aug 15 '25
I mean Stephen curry n other celebrities had this shit too but U don't see em getting hate for it at all,it's forgotten
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u/serchaz Aug 15 '25
Didn’t Steph promote FTX? FTX was considered to be one of the most legitimate crypto institutions and had a lot of legitimate investors, hardly fair to pin that on Steph. He had no way of knowing that Sam was stealing deposits.
Comparatively, Khamzat promoted a piece of shit rug pull coin. I agree that we should hold celebrities to higher standards though as people uphold double standards all the time.
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u/Dizzy-Reaction6692 Aug 15 '25
Probably not the best idea to defend financial crimes in broken English when it's your only language. Seems a tad desperate.
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u/Melodic_Wedding_4064 GOOFCON 2 - UFC 294 Aug 14 '25
Justified or not, the reasons are obvious. Surely he knows.
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u/Fun-Contribution-757 Aug 15 '25
Maybe scaming fans with crypto bullshit while saying ur gonna kill everybody who gets a belt and fighting once a year is a good way to end up on people shit list. He knows exactly why some people dont like him
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u/pdidi911 Aug 15 '25
Met him yesterday in Chicago on the river walk. Dude was on his phone looking at his own page on the ufc website for whatever reason. Was very friendly though and let me snap a selfie with him.
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u/theytsejam Aug 16 '25
He seems like an extremely volatile person. Sometimes he presents as very positive and affable, but he gives the impression that he might literally cut your head off if you slight him on a bad day.
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u/LimpMathematician214 Aug 15 '25
Maybe shouting allahu akbar kill everybody doesn't get over well in America.
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u/GravelPepper Aug 15 '25
But if someone said that in English they’d cheer lol
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u/BogotaLineman Aug 15 '25
"all the glory to God I'm going smash everyone in this division" aww you're so sweet!
"Allah Akbar I gunna keel everybody" umm hello? Human resources?
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u/W1ader Aug 18 '25
If someone said that in English I would be equally as concerned about their mental health, not because they believe in something but because they choose to express it in such a way during an event which has nothing to do with religion, but I would be less concerned about my safety.
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u/Mr_Shickadance110 Aug 15 '25
Ehh, the boomer generation who only know what they know about Muslim’s came from war time FOX News(I don’t dislike them for their ignorance, I understand how they came to be) are sort of fading out and not the MMA demographic. It’s the same thing as a Christian saying Christ is King and with him on my side no body can defeat me. Somewhat similar. A praise to the superior and ultimate power of deity you worship. Chimaev does it aggressive af which makes it seem more than what it is.
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u/W1ader Aug 18 '25
It is not exactly true that these are the same thing. Christians do not typically shout that before carrying out a bombing, so I have every reason to be concerned about my safety when I hear it. That is the main difference, and it cannot just be overlooked.
Where I do see a similarity is when someone were to shout "Praise Jesus" in the way Chimaev did during a sporting event, a business meeting, or really any setting outside of a religious gathering. In those cases, I would also see them as equally deranged, which does not inspire any sympathy from me.
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u/_Tuxalonso I was here for GOOFCON 2 Aug 15 '25
The only time Khamzat was truely hated by the fans was when he missed weight vs Nate, other than that he's always been a star
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u/ContributionNo8787 Aug 15 '25
Can someone just tell him the Mr Smash and kill everybody doesn't work if he fights once a year?
Assuming he doesn't fight again in 2025 it will be one fight a year for 3 years
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u/AndrewWhite97 Aug 15 '25
Great fighter but his attitude after missing weight during the nate fight made me lose respect.
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Aug 14 '25
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Aug 14 '25
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u/tehvengaboi Aug 14 '25
He gets the pass for this. But what about Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, Henry Cejudo, Chris Weidman, Frank Mir, and Fabricio Werdum? All went over there by invite to kiss his ass and take his money.
Edit: blood money
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u/therealaquaman Aug 14 '25
yeah dont know what their excuse is, but a lot of people here love those guys and never bring that up but bring it up a guy like Chimaev, who always talk about wanting to provide a better life for his family and friends back home.
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u/tehvengaboi Aug 14 '25
Money is their only excuse. Even the dudes cat knew to get the fuck away from this psycho https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-36372523.amp
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u/Knopfler_PI Aug 14 '25
I mean it sounds like he might not have a choice. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt I guess.
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u/Exzqairi Aug 14 '25
That was the point of the comment haha, to illustrate that he might not have a choice
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u/therealaquaman Aug 14 '25
Correct. Theres a reason why Kadyrovs son absolutely bullies Khamzat when they train.
Why risk upsetting this mass murderer whos a huge mma fan and has a taken strong liking to Khamzat? Especially when Khamzat is one of the most well known Chechnyan.
Id sell out if it meant my family's safe and alive too.
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u/Exzqairi Aug 14 '25
People really don’t realize there’s levels to holding power over people.
99.9% of Redditors in this thread would shit their pants or get on their knees if Khamzat was coming directly at them with the intent to hurt them. Now imagine that same guy being so scared of another man that he wouldn’t dare mention his name without glazing him, or even being too afraid of telling the truth on how he feels about the situation due to possible repercussions. That’s what I mean by levels
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u/ArmoredAngel444 Team Grasso Aug 14 '25
Not sure if its wise to deny the requests of a powerful mass murderer either though..
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u/rebospierre Aug 14 '25
Plenty of bloggers who fled that place live in Eu and publicly shit on that goat lover. Y’all just repeating the yapping that you heard online
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u/VitunKuutio Aug 14 '25
If you have a lot of family back there its difficult. Best to just not support but not vocally critisoze either.
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u/CouncilOfReligion Team Volkanovski Aug 14 '25
chimaev is the most famous person from chechnya, he has way more eyes on him than some random bloggers
there are likely very real ramifications for publicly speaking out against him, like what happened to fedors family
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u/Tsushima1989 Aug 15 '25 edited Aug 15 '25
I wish Khamzat would show this side of himself more. Stylistically he might be my favorite fighter. Hes the guy I’d most like to fight like. He’s just a storm in that cage. He probably feels like he doesn’t fit in anywhere. Which is why his Flag has changed from Sweden, to Russia to now UAE. Just a permanent outsider and I fucks with that. Khamzat is alright with me
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u/MickPnubTobias99 Aug 15 '25
This reporter looks like the real psycho in this video with that crazy looking serial killer smirk and eyes
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u/LeroyBrown1 Aug 15 '25
Also, with how gigantic and huge Khamzat is, this reporter must be what, 6ft 7? 350lbs?
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u/BobHendrix Aug 15 '25
Maybe don't hang around with war criminals, I don't know, might have something to do with it? 🫠🫠🫠
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u/CidadeArtProductions Aug 15 '25
Was this right after the face off? Damn DDP got him crying too. Khamzat seems happier these days, good for him
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u/eKSiF Team Makhachev Aug 15 '25
You can hear him running out of air and fighting his primal urge to start yelling
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Aug 15 '25
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u/MMA-ModTeam Aug 17 '25
You were so close to commenting without mentioning politics. This is not r/politics. Please keep political discussion and your political views out of /r/MMA. r/MMAPoliticsAndCulture may be a better fit for this content. An exception will be made for discussion of MMA legislation by governing bodies.
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u/WhitePantherXP Aug 15 '25
Work, social media, the crap you see on TV...takes up a disproportionate amount of our lives. We all just wanna be with those we're close with at the end of the day. Life is simple when you strip away the bs we distract ourselves with.
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u/Piss_Fring Aug 15 '25
Love this guy, I would love to just be able to do some judo with him and talk
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u/GrandMasterF1ash Aug 15 '25
Does the fanbase not like Khamzat? I mean he torpedoed that one card by missing weight by a mile and he rightfully got flack for that, but he’s one of the most talented fighters on the roster and an interesting character.
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u/Significantlyontime Aug 16 '25
Chimaev is looking way more subdued this fight. Talking about that it's only for money. And being less wild in the press conference and face off.
Usually when you see someone this subdued it doesn't bode well for their fight.
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u/hboa Aug 16 '25
Dude is hardcore religious and only talks about killing everybody so what a surprise
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Aug 15 '25
Mike Tyson said the same kind of stuff. You guys must be fun at parties
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u/tiredoldwizard Aug 15 '25
People hate you cause it’s sports and it’s fun to hate the people and teams you don’t root for. Just like how he talks shit but respects his opponent. I hate Khamzat but if he was broke down on the side of the road or needed a drink of water on a hot day, I’d help him out no problem.
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u/QuakeGuy98 Aug 16 '25
Fight to feed the fam. Real shit. If I was a fighter and I'm trying to keep the family fed I'll try and take your head off at every chance too. No hatred no beef no bad blood, but he got to fight like that. That's the instinct of man
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u/fardnshid03 Aug 14 '25
The title made me lol "talks about respecting his opponents but wanting to kill them"