Khamzat Chimaev is finally gearing up for a comeback inside the Octagon after nearly a year of hiatus. Borz, who is set to face Paulo Costa as his next opponent, has been issuing strong warnings to “The Eraser,” likening himself to a hungry lion ready to pounce.
Initially, Borz had expressed his desire to fight Kamaru Usman in UFC 294, and interestingly, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has reciprocated his interest in facing Chimaev as well.
Khamzat Chimaev trolls Paulo Costa prior to UFC 294 bout
After being absent from the UFC for almost a year, Paulo Costa surprised fans by pulling out of his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker on the Australia card. The Brazilian later cited contractual reasons for not fighting ‘Bobby Knuckles’.
However, he later renegotiated his contracts with the UFC and landed a fight against newcomer Ikram Aliskerov. However, the former title challenger again pulled out from his scheduled bout, causing visible frustrations and annoyance among MMA enthusiasts.
Finally, Khamzat Chimaev was announced as the ‘real’ opponent for Borrachinha which makes a lot of sense considering the verbal exchanges they had during the Diaz vs Chimaev card.
Paulo Costa vs Khamzat Chimaev in the works for October 21st #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/JqEflpPS4J
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) July 19, 2023
In the lead-up to this new fight, Khamzat wasted no time engaging in a pre-fight verbal exchange with his Brazilian opponent, taking a jab at Costa by playfully imitating the way he reacted emotionally after his defeat against Israel Adesanya.
The Chechen fighter’s mocking gestures have added some tension to their upcoming clash, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown between the two talented fighters.
Khamzat Chimaev is yet to register a fight for this year. pic.twitter.com/bf2FRbamDP
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) July 17, 2023
Borz sends stern warning to The Eraser
In a recent interview, Chimaev confidently stated his presence in the octagon instills fear in his opponents. Additionally, he emphasized that he has never turned down a fight and is always prepared to face anyone who comes his way.
Despite being inactive for an extended period, he has continued to train throughout his time away from competition. Now ‘Borz’ is promising to make Costa cry when they face each other.
“It’s good. I’ll make that guy cry in the cage. Like I always do. Smash. Smash somebody, make money. Make that guy cry, go home and be in Brazil,” Chimaev said.
Khamzat Chimaev veut faire pleurer Paulo Costa dans la cage 😂
Ce qui est sûr c'est qu'il y en aura un des 2 qui aura envie de pleurer après ce combat 💀 pic.twitter.com/eSIEDmcZ0z
— MMA Fanatics (@MMAfanaticsFR) July 23, 2023
The undefeated Swedish fighter has made it clear that he is willing and capable of competing in multiple weight divisions, expressing his versatility in a remarkable way. The Chechen apparently was even interested in challenging Glover Teixeira for the 205-pound title.
“Nobody likes him [Costa], all Brazilians write to me and support me. That guy’s not Brazilian, so I’m going to go and smash this guy and make him cry.” Chimaev added.
Chimaev vows to do more than just win against Costa at UFC 294 😨 pic.twitter.com/rFHj0iT8BX
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 23, 2023
Overall, Chimaev’s ambitions are high, and he is determined to achieve greatness by aiming for titles in various weight divisions.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in the battle between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
