Khamzat Chimaev made a successful return to the Octagon at UFC 294, but following the contest, he was more interested in talking about the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine than a random fistfight on Saturday night.
More than a year removed from his last outing against Kevin Holland at UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev stepped back inside the cage for a clash with former welterweight world champion, Kamaru Usman. After three rounds of action that largely saw ‘Borz’ impose his will on the ground, Chimaev was revealed to be the winner via a majority decision.
That victory will likely earn him a shot at reigning middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland, but during his post-fight interview, Chimaev was determined to voice his concern over the bloodshed between Israel and Palestine and the lives that the conflict has already claimed.
“Guys, you know what’s happening in the world right now. I wasn’t happy in the cage to fight this week,” Chimaev said. “I see the kids dying. It doesn’t matter where in the world Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, USA, doesn’t matter. When kids die, it’s hard, guys. I love kids. I have a boy that is waiting for me… Inshallah, we’ll be good in the world. I hope so. Muslim, Christian, Jewish, doesn’t matter. Please, guys, be together. Let us live in this world good, and let us be happy.”
Khamzat Chimaev Excuses Himself From Backstage Interview
Though he didn’t appear at the post-fight press event, Khamzat Chimaev did speak with members of the media backstage and echoed similar sentiments. This time, ‘Borz’ was so overcome with emotion over the situation that he had to excuse himself from the interview.
UFC fighter, @KChimaev, gets emotional when talking about the atrocities taking place in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/AzgY4x66j5
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) October 21, 2023
UFC fighter,
Chimaev briefly spoke about the horrible things he had been seeing on Instagram as of late before being asked about his UFC 294 opponent. Borz’ was nothing, but complimentary toward Kamaru Usman, but chose to remove himself from the interview before offering any insight into the fight or what it was like to share the Octagon with the former welterweight champ.