CONOR MCGREGOR is ‘impossible to respect’ because of his wild antics outside of the octagon, UFC middleweight rising star Khamzat Chimaev has blasted. The Irishman, 33, is still undoubtedly MMA’s biggest name – pulling in extraordinary pay-per-view numbers every time he fights. McGregor achieved sporting immortality by holding the UFC’s lightweight and featherweight belts at […]
CONOR MCGREGOR is ‘impossible to respect’ because of his wild antics outside of the octagon, UFC middleweight rising star Khamzat Chimaev has blasted.
The Irishman, 33, is still undoubtedly MMA’s biggest name – pulling in extraordinary pay-per-view numbers every time he fights.
McGregor achieved sporting immortality by holding the UFC’s lightweight and featherweight belts at the same time.
But he is not without his controversies, most recently being accused of punching a DJ while on holiday in Italy.
And it’s for this reason that Swede Khamzat struggles to fully respect the Notorious.
Ahead of his octagon return this weekend on Fight Island, the 27-year-old admitted to Zuba TV: “Yes, he achieved everything in the UFC – he was a champion in two weight classes. This I respect with him.
“But it is impossible to respect him as a person.”
Chimaev burst onto the scene last July, gaining notoriety of his own when he battered Rhys McKee just TEN DAYS after defeating John Phillips in his UFC debut.
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He then earned a third consecutive performance of the night bonus in September 2020 when he beat Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds.
A huge bout with Brit Leon Edwards was supposed to follow, but twice fell through as both men tested positive for Covid-19.
Chimaev struggled with the after effects of coronavirus, even temporarily retiring from MMA.
But he finally returns this weekend, as he moves down to welterweight to face No11 ranked Li Jingliang of China.
Bullish ahead of his return, Chimaev added: “I don’t think these guys want to fight with me after this fight.
“They’re gonna start to be scared again, complain ‘he didn’t fight some of these good guys, blah blah blah,’ things like that.
“We will see what happens after this fight.”
