Outside Source
Imavov is currently leading the race for a middleweight title shot against Khamzat Chimaev. There should ideally be no complications in the matchup as Imavov and Chimaev are neither teammates nor the closest of friends. However, fighters with Caucasian heritage have a different approach.
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While Imavov lives in France, he was born in Dagestan, and Chimaev hails from Chechnya. Although Imavov understands that it might be hard for Westerners to comprehend, he explains that a matchup between him and Chimaev could be frowned upon in the Caucasus mountains. Imavov further revealed that his mother advised him against the matchup as “brothers” should not fight. However, Imavov understands that he is on an inevitable collision course with Chimaev. Imavov also expressed his gratitude to “Borz” for helping him prepare for his win over Brendan Allen last year. Imavov revealed that he has already discussed the matchup with the UFC brass, who want to do it in February.
‘It’s Complicated’
“Here it’s certainly hard to understand, but in the Caucasus Mountains it’s going to make some noise,” Imavov told RMC Sport (via Red Corner MMA). “I called my mother to ask her about the fight; she doesn’t know anything about MMA. They said it’s not a fight to be had, it shouldn’t be between two brothers. That’s why it’s complicated for us. But at the same time, we don’t have a choice. We know each other well. Khamzat is a good guy; he helped me quite a bit in the fight against Allen. He’s someone I appreciate. We know that next it’s going to be me. I think I’ve done enough. We’ve talked to the UFC; the UFC told us they wanted to do the fight in February.”
Chimaev (15-0) maintained his undefeated record with a dominant title win over Dricus Du Plessis this past August. Meanwhile, Imavov (17-4) is in the midst of a five-fight winning streak and fresh off a unanimous decision win over fellow contender Caio Borralho.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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