UFC title challenger once flew to Ireland to confront Conor McGregor
Khamzat Chimaev will finally get the chance to fight for UFC gold when he takes on Dricus Du Plessis for the Middleweight title in August.
The undefeated 14-0 star has blossomed into one of the most fearsome fighters in the UFC since his debut in 2020 and has defeated the likes of Kevin Holland, Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker on his way to becoming number one contender.
During his time in the UFC, Chimaev has proven that he is always down for a scrap. However, years before he set foot inside an Octagon, the 31-year-old showed his fighting mentality when he flew to Ireland to confront Conor McGregor.
McGregor was in the midst of a heated feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov - Chimaev's friend - at the time and flew into a rage after McGregor infamously attacked a bus which Nurmagomedov was on in an altercation in New York City.
'At that time, no one knew who I was. He was also talking about another guy who's also Chechen. I don't remember his name, but he told us he knocked him out in a sparring session,' Chimaev said years later.
'My mind was blowing up at that moment, but I'm living here very close to him. I was thinking that I would catch him on the streets or at the gym and beat him up. This is what he deserved.
'I landed in Ireland and waited in an airport. First they stopped me a while and then slightly told me to go… When I was going out of the airport they stopped me again… They drove me to the police station and kept me for eight hours.
'Honestly speaking, I wanted to beat him up. Many people thought I was coming there to help him prepare for Khabib. I was coming there to protect our pride and honor.'
McGregor and Chimaev never faced off. Later that year, the Irishman fought Khabib and was beaten by submission in the fourth round.
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