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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing
So there we were in the bowels of Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday night. The post-game media mixed zone is not always the natural home of relaxed, honest repartee, but Sione Tuipulotu is a friendly guy and the British & Irish Lions had just won their opening tour game in Australia. It was a chance for a couple of ritual inquiries and a spot of gentle breeze-shooting. Aside from anything else, it was good to see Tuipulotu smiling. He had missed the entire Six Nations through injury, initially putting his tour participation in doubt. It must have been a particularly tough period given he was Scotland's captain back in the autumn and also grew up in Melbourne. To say he fancied going on this trip would be an understatement. His backstory is also a multifaceted sign of the times. The MacLeods and the Mackenzies have their famous clan tartans; the Tuipulotus not so much. His grandmother hails from Greenock but moved to Australia as a young girl. His father is from Tonga. The family genes, consequently, are more exotic than some and the concept of nationality correspondingly more blurred. Which, on this trip, puts him in the crosshairs of those who insist borders should be hard and fast and national flags nontransferable. Maybe the Western Force stadium announcer thought he was being hilarious as he rattled off the Lions team: 'The Aussie at No 14, Mack Hansen. Another Aussie at No 12, Sione Tuipulotu. The Kiwi now Irishman, James Lowe.' Either way, more fuel was instantly poured on one of sport's more incendiary debates. Tuipulotu didn't hear it – or claimed he didn't – but you could sense the 28-year-old's heart sinking when the subject inevitably came up. 'I knew there would be some 'good humour' coming back home to Australia,' he replied, more than a touch wearily. 'These are all things we've got to take in our stride. Look, I am from Australia. I was born here. I don't know how funny that gag is to everybody but I'm loving playing for Lions.' In other words, he wasn't too impressed. Understandably so. Imagine if the same announcer pulls a similar stunt before England's cricketers play the opening Test of the Ashes series in the very same stadium this November. 'West Indian Englishmen Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell, Pakistani Englishman Shoaib Bashir …' Harmless banter or something more insidious when all that should matter is the three lions on their caps? The Lions prop Pierre Schoeman has already had to deal with such inquiries, as did Lowe on Saturday evening. Lowe qualified for Ireland via residency and played against the Lions for New Zealand Māori in 2017, but he and his wife are now Irish citizens and he insists representing the Lions 'will make me proud until the end of my days'. It may also be worth mentioning, for balance, that the current Wallaby squad are a similarly cosmopolitan bunch. The Fijian-born Filipo Daugunu qualifies via residency, while the winger Harry Potter was born in England. Tom Lynagh was born in Italy, for whom his brother Louis now plays, and raised in England. Taniela Tupou is known as the 'Tongan Thor' while Hunter Paisami represented Samoa at under-20s level. Noah Lolesio and Will Skelton were also born in New Zealand. Australia's head coach, Joe Schmidt, meanwhile, is a Kiwi revered for his work in Ireland. Yet even Schmidt has had to row back publicly from a 'sloppy' comment in which he pointedly referred to 'the southern-hemisphere centre partnership' of Tuipolotu and Bundee Aki. Schmidt says he regretted the remark and that it was not meant as a slight. Too late, sadly, to douse the jingoistic flames. And if allowed to rage unchecked, where will it all end? A Ryder Cup team – Brexit means Brexit – containing nobody from beyond the white cliffs of Dover? A ban on the naturalised Canadian Greg Rusedski showing up at Wimbledon? A retrospective trawl through the Lions record books to insert asterisks beside Ronan O'Gara (born in the USA) or Paul Ackford (born in Germany)? Life is not always about staying in your notional lane or adhering to other people's old‑school beliefs surrounding nationalism. Nor, furthermore, has a single one of rugby's regulations been broken. Yes, it would help if stricter rules applied around 'project players' and the poaching of youthful southern hemisphere talent. Nor should it be possible, as it theoretically would be, for someone such as Jack Willis – the England international currently based in France – to switch allegiance to Ireland at the end of next year on the strength of a grandparent from Ulster. But where in the Lions tour agreement does it say that a strong Irish, Welsh, Scottish or English accent is a prerequisite to be a fully fledged tour member? Equally ludicrous is the idea being pedalled in some quarters that if, say, Tuipulotu, Hansen and Lowe were to combine to score a series-clinching try against the Wallabies it would somehow cheapen the Lions ethos. Good luck with flogging that theory to Tuipulotu's proud granny Jacqueline, or, indeed, Andy Farrell. Because once they pull on a red jersey with a Lions badge on their chest, there should be no doubting any player's commitment. The eligibility rules are what they are and, until they change, the current whinging is both disrespectful and irrelevant. Those who disagree are entitled to their opinion. But if people think certain members of the Lions squad now in Australia are devaluing the exercise they are very much barking up the wrong gum tree. Guardian
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Pádraig Harrington wins US Seniors Open
Pádraig Harrington has won the US Seniors Open at Broadmoor Golf Club, Colorado, taking the title by one shot from Stewart Cink. The Irishman hit a final round total of -3 to finish on -11. Miguel Ángel Jiménez finished third on -9 after a superb final round of six under. Report to follow.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Padraig Harrington land massive payout after Irish legend bags second Senior US Open Championship
PADRAIG Harrington landed a huge payout after winning his second US Senior Open Championship. The Irishman saw off the final round challenge from pal Stewart Cink, and a late final round charge from Spanish legend Miguel Angel Jimenez to claim the title in Colorado. Advertisement 2 Padraig Harrington finished ahead of close pal Stewart Cink to claim his second senior major title 2 Padraig Harrington held firm despite late tension at Broadmoor Golf Club The Rathfarnham native was tied heading into the last round after a 68 on Saturday - the same as Australia's Mark Hensby and American Cink. But the Stackstown icon Harrington bagged a healthy pay packet as he held his nerve despite a tense final hole at Broadmoor Golf Club. He carded a three under par 70 to pip his American friend Cink to the title by one-stroke, with Jimenez a further shot back after a stunning -7 round of 63. It was the 2024 Golf Hall of Fame inductee's tenth Senior's Tour title. Advertisement read more on golf The 53-year-old wins $800,000 with the success. 2025 US Senior Open Full Payout Position Prize Money 1st $800,000 2nd $432,000 3rd $255,061 4th $178,788 5th $148,913 6th $132,039 7th $119,039 8th $106,613 9th $96,489 10th $88,627 11th $80,880 12th $74,782 13th $69,682 14th $64,313 15th $59,711 16th $55,876 17th $52,808 18th $49,740 19th $46,672 20th $43,604 21st $40,958 22nd $38,311 23rd $35,742 24th $33,364 25th $31,293 26th $29,529 27th $28,187 28th $26,998 29th $25,848 30th $24,697 31st $23,547 32nd $22,396 33rd $21,246 34th $20,210 35th $19,366 36th $18,523 37th $17,717 38th $16,950 39th $16,183 40th $15,416 41st $14,649 42nd $13,882 43rd $13,115 44th $12,348 45th $11,581 46th $10,891 47th $10,201 48th $9,549 49th $9,165 50th $9,782 51st $8,552 52nd $8,360 53rd $8,206 54th $8,130 55th $8,053 56th $7,976 57th $7,900 58th $7,823 59th $7,746 60th $7,670
