Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most confident fighters in the UFC, which Dana White found out firsthand during an epic moment in MMA history.
The Chechen fighter is undefeated in the octagon as he prepares to face Dricus du Plessis in a world title fight at UFC 319.
He seems confident going into the fight, as Khamzat Chimaev predicts he’ll win the belt and defend it in October.
This supreme confidence is something he has always had, going back to at least his clash with Li Jingliang at UFC 267.
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Khamzat Chimaev addressed Dana White in the middle of a dominant performance in the octagon
One of the biggest displays of dominance ever seen in the Octagon occurred at UFC 267, with Dana White taking the brunt of it at ringside.
During Chimaev’s fight with Li Jingliang, he was in total control of the Chinese fighter from the first bell, lifting him from behind and ragdolling him with impressive strength just nine seconds into the first round.
The Chechen impressively carried Jingliang across the octagon and towards where White was sitting at cageside, looking at his phone and not paying attention to the action.
Still holding his opponent in the air with ease, he said something to the boss, which drew his attention, as Jingliang kicked his arms and legs, like a toddler trying to get free from their mother’s grip.
Chimaev continued to stare at White when he slammed his opponent to the ground and attempted a submission.
The Chechen fighter reportedly told the UFC CEO to get off his phone and watch the fight, as he picked up Jingliang like a child to address White mid-fight.
Three minutes later, Chimaev put the Chinese fighter to sleep with a rear-naked choke, which definitely got the CEO’s attention.
Dana White admitted Khamzat Chimaev was ‘different’ after his 17-second KO victory
Despite Chimaev’s apparent annoyance at White during the fight against Jingliang, the UFC boss was already a big fan of the Middleweight.
After watching Chimaev knock out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds the year before, the UFC CEO gushed about him in a post-fight interview.
He called him “special” and admitted that he’d never seen anyone like him in the octagon before.
White said: “One punch. 17 seconds. This kid is special.”
“He’s different than any fighter I’ve ever seen. I’ve been in the business for a very long time, I’ve seen a lot of greats come and go.
“This kid is absolutely special and I’ve never seen anything like it,” White added.
Chimaev’s fight with du Plessis won’t be as easy as those wins, but he’ll be confident of walking out of Chicago as the UFC Middleweight champion.