Tag: Khazmat Chimaev

Kevin Holland: Khamzat Chimaev ‘only does this extra wannabe street sh*t when the media is around’

Ahead of UFC 279, Kevin Holland said there’s no beef with Khazmat Chimaev and he’s just telling it how he sees it – and he sees a phony.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] says there’s no beef with [autotag]Khazmat Chimaev[/autotag], despite past in-person run-ins – but he still tells it how he sees it.

“I’ve never had an issue,” Holland told reporters including MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “Nobody. Now, I’m going to tell you how I feel about anybody. ‘The dude on the left is a b*tch. The dude on the right is a b*tch. Dude in the middle, he’s definitely a b*tch.’ I don’t have a problem with anybody.

At UFC 279, Holland (23-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will share the main card with Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who fights Nate Diaz in the main event. Holland fights Daniel Rodriguez two fights prior.

While Holland indicated he has no ill-will, he said his honesty is often mistaken for it. Holland thinks Chimaev is fake and acts differently when the cameras are on.

“I feel like he likes the f*cking media,” Holland said. “I feel like he only does this extra wannabe street sh*t when the media is around. Other than that, he doesn’t do it. I mean, when you guys aren’t around he wants to do fist bumps and he wants to be your best friend. When you guys are around, all of a sudden he’s like, ‘Agh, I’ll rip your f*cking head off.’ He ain’t ripping sh*t off, dog. Let’s be real. He wants a paycheck, just like the rest of these guys around here.”

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The rivalry, whether perceived or real, began in 2021. Holland criticized Chimaev for how he handled a bout with COVID-19 among other things. The two welterweight fighters allegedly had a run-in in a hotel lobby thereafter and were separated.

Chimaev referenced the incident on Instagram in reply to Holland’s comments.

“Did you forget that last slap I gave you at the hotel?” Chimaev wrote. Do you want one more?!”

Call it beef or call it telling the truth. Either way, Holland is picking Chimaev to defeat Diaz on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“He should win, on paper,” Holland said.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.

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UFC on ESPN 13 medical suspensions: Ryan Benoit, three others facing lengthy time off

Four fighters face potential 180-day medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN 13.

Four fighters face potential 180-day medical suspensions as a result of injuries sustained in their UFC on ESPN 13 fights Wednesday.

Friday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official recordkeeper.

According to the list, UFC on ESPN 13 main card fighters [autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] and [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag], as well as prelim competitors [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] and [autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag], received 180-day suspensions. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

Headliners [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], however, walked away relatively unscathed, despite their 25-minute back-and-forth battle. Kattar (22-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was handed a 30-day suspension for a “hard bout,” while Ige (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) received 45 days on the shelf for bilateral brow lacerations.

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UFC on ESPN 13 took place Wednesday at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC on ESPN 13 medical suspensions:

  • Calvin Kattar: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
  • Dan Ige: Suspended 45 days for bilateral brow lacerations with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for left brow lacerations with no contact for 21 days
  • Ryan Benoit: Suspended 180 days or until right thumb x-ray is cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
  • [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right shoulder pain with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for scalp laceration with no contact for 21 days
  • Taila Santos: Suspended 180 days or until right foot x-ray is cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
  • [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for right eye swelling with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for right hand pain with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Khazmat Chimaev[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]John Phillips[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days for bilateral brow lacerations with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
  • Modestas Bukauskas: Suspended 180 days or until left knee MRI cleared by a doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
  • [autotag]Andreas Michailidis[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for TKO loss with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for a “hard bout” with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Liana Jouja[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • Diana Belbita: Suspended 180 days or until right elbow MRI is cleared by doctor; Also suspended 21 days with no contact
  • [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest)
  • [autotag]Aaron Phillips[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest

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