Khamzat
Chimaev has an ongoing million rubles (approximately $10,000)
challenge at his gym.
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The middleweight contender claims he hasn’t been submitted for a
long time, even in practice. While he admittedly offers some
vulnerable positions while training with youngsters, Chimaev takes
it to another level during serious sessions. “Borz” has an open
challenge offering a million rubles to anyone who can submit him in
the gym.
Chimaev also said that his teammate Abubakar
Vagaev is the one who has come the closest to submitting him in
recent times. The Chechen-born Swede was in Vagaev’s corner when he
dethroned Albert
Tumenov via unanimous decision to win the welterweight title at
ACA 183 on Saturday.
“Anyone who submits me during training gets a million rubles from
me,” Chimaev told media at the post-fight press conference after
ACA 183 via Home of Fight). “It hasn’t happened in a long time.
When I’m fooling around with young guys, I give up my neck, but
when we have a serious grappling match, I offer a million rubles to
anyone. Let them come to the gym and try. Who came closest to
submitting me? The guy sitting next to me [Vagaev]. I won’t point
fingers, or it’ll be his moment of fame (laughs).”
With six finishes in eight UFC wins, the undefeated Chimaev is
likely the frontrunner for the next middleweight title shot. The
30-year-old most recently submitted former champ Robert
Whittaker at UFC 308 this past October.