Khamzat Chimaev has seemingly buried the hatchet with Octagon rival turned possible training partner, Kevin Holland.
A marauding Chimaev made easy work of Kevin Holland at UFC 279 yesterday, submitting him with a D’arce choke just over two minutes into the first round. The near flawless victory saw the 28-year-old absorb zero strikes and showcase the phenomenal grappling that makes him such a terrifying prospect for the welterweight division.
In the week leading up to the fight, Chimaev and Holland were involved in a fiery backstage clash just prior to the UFC 279 press conference.
Newly released footage of the incident shows the duo trading barbs and Khamzat kicking Holland. And by a twist of fate, the pair were able to settle their differences just a day later, after Chimaev’s massive weight miss for his original bout with Nate Diaz resulted in a reshuffling of the UFC 279 main card.
Chimaev Invites “Nice Guy” Holland To Train In Sweden
Going by their backstage clash and barbs traded over social media, it seemed like the bad blood between Khamzat and Holland ran deep. But at the UFC 279 post-fight press conference, the Swede revealed that he actually has a soft spot for Kevin and even extended an offer to train with him at his gym.
“He’s actually a nice guy, so I like him, you know? Sometimes we don’t like each other before the fight, it’s all normal…we’re coming for the war, to kill each other. So, now this war is over, if he wants he can come to my gym and be one of us…and he’s nice guy, good guy, tough guy, you know? He has a lot of things to learn, so yeah, he’s one of the warriors,” said Chimaev.
While this beef seems settled, Chimaev has many more that are far from resolution. His most recent is of course with middleweight Paulo Costa, with whom he was involved in a similarly fiery altercation during UFC 279 fight week. But unlike with Kevin, “Borz” doesn’t seem interested in resolving that dispute with Costa in the Octagon any time soon.
What’s your take on Khamzat Chimaev’s inviting Kevin Holland to join his gym?