Islam Makhachev having lunch with Khamzat Chimaev leaves UFC fans divided: “They all hate each other”

Khabib Nurmagomedov paved the way for the UFC to expand its presence in the Middle East. Now, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev are continuing this momentum. Following the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also entered the scene.

Makhachev and Chimaev recently shared the stage at UFC 294, where Makhachev headlined against Alexander Volkanovski, and Chimaev participated in the co-main event, engaging in a number one contender fight for the UFC middleweight title against Kamaru Usman.

Fans in disbelief as Islam Makhachev spotted with Khamzat Chimaev

Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev have made the UAE their secondary home with Chimaev even presenting the UAE flag at UFC 294. Recently, the duo had lunch together in UAE with former UFC fighter Zubaira Tukhugov and Nadeem Nazar, a friend of Chimaev. Fans had an interesting response on social media upon seeing the two together

“Muslims acting like they have some utopian brotherhood when in fact they all hate each others country and race 🤣😂”commented one fan on X, referencing the animosity that different Islamic republics have with each other. Makhachev is from Dagestan and Chimaev is from Chechnya; two neighboring countries that have fought wars in the past.

“Khamzat on his best behavior 🐉😂,” commented another fan who trolled Chimaev as he’s known for having a bad-boy persona. Chimaev has had altercations with fighters like Paulo Costa and Kevin Holland in the past and that fan might have been alluding to that.

“Yep he don’t wanna be there,” commented yet another fan with a picture of Chimaev from the video. That fan hinted that from the demeanor of Chimaev, it looked like he was not interested in being there at lunch.

Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev friends?

Khamzat Chimaev did not have a cordial relationship with the fighters from Dagestan which includes the likes of Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov to name a few. Chimaev famously declined to be compared to Nurmagomedov, and instead opted preferred to be compared to Mike Tyson.

Chimaev also had an altercation with UFC welterweight Abubakr Nurmadomedov, the cousin of Khabib. The altercation happened in the audience gallery of UFC 280 when Makhachev was giving his post-fight speech after winning the lightweight title with a second-round submission of Charles Oliveira.

Khabib later resolved the animosity and mended the relationship between his cousin and Chimaev. Pictures of Chimaev alongside fighters from Dagestan were posted on social media, showing Chimaev and Makhachev standing with their hands on each other’s shoulders.

During the fight week of UFC 294, Chimaev and Makhachev met in the lobby of the hotel room where the duo had a cordial interaction. At UFC 294, Islam Makhachev knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and thereby became the pound-for-pound king of the UFC. Chimaev eked past Kamaru Usman via majority decision in the co-main event.

What do you think of the friendship between Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Makhachve? Leave your thoughts below!