Khamzat Chimaev isn't losing any sleep over Conor McGregor's latest headline-grabbing claim.
As Chimaev gears up to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, McGregor took to social media with a puzzling statement. The Irishman tweeted that Chimaev and Strickland would be fighting "with my 185lb title on the line."
Let's set the record straight: McGregor has never competed at middleweight. His UFC titles came at featherweight (145 pounds) and lightweight (155 pounds), and his heaviest fight was at welterweight (170 pounds). He hasn't stepped inside the octagon since July 2021, and his lone professional boxing match was a 2017 loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The UFC stripped him of his lightweight belt in 2018 due to inactivity.
When asked about McGregor's comment during Wednesday's media day, Chimaev didn't hold back.
"His belt? He lost his belt 10 years ago," Chimaev said with a shrug. "I don't know, this guy comes off a little bit drunk, or is it Proper something he's drinking all the time? Come back to normal, work, and let's fight."
The undefeated champion even threw down the gauntlet for a potential boxing match, referencing his desire to showcase his striking skills beyond MMA. "I told Zuffa Boxing people think I'm just a wrestler. I don't need to use just my boxing—I'm an MMA fighter. If I go to boxing, I'm going to show my boxing too."
Chimaev is no stranger to weight-class hopping himself. He started his UFC career at middleweight, spent most of his time at welterweight, then returned to 185 pounds to capture the title with a dominant decision win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 this past August. He's even hinted at moving up to light heavyweight or heavyweight down the line.
"Of course, for sure," Chimaev said about the possibility of moving up. "I've always been training with heavyweight guys. I've trained most of my time with Alexander Gustafsson, Jimi Manuwa, Gokhan Saki from the beginning of my career, and I was fighting at 170. I sparred with them, never had a problem with weight. I like to eat and have fun in the cage."
As for McGregor, he remains on the sidelines, awaiting an official booking for his comeback fight—wherever that may be.