Chimaev Wants McGregor Boxing Match

Khamzat Chimaev wants to share a boxing ring with Conor McGregor, and he is not shy about why — the money and the spectacle are too good to ignore.

Chimaev floated the idea of a Zuffa Boxing crossover as a side venture, making clear it would not pull him away from the UFC permanently: “I’m not going to move over to boxing. I will be forever a UFC fighter. Maybe if Zuffa gives the chance, box with Conor, or if Conor wants to accept that. It would be nice. Why not?”

McGregor’s bout with Floyd Mayweather generated one of the largest pay-per-view buy rates. McGregor lasted into the 10th round before being stopped — a performance that exceeded the expectations of almost everyone watching. Chimaev has no intention of downplaying that. He sees McGregor as a legitimate boxing challenge. Chimaev has also credited the Irishman’s 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 — and the paycheque that accompanied it — as the moment that drew him into MMA.

Chimaev Reacts

“Conor is a good boxer, one of the best boxers in the UFC. It would be nice to try and go fight that guy. Good money, too. He talks better than Sean Strickland. It would be fun. When I saw that fight, I heard about how much he made. That’s why I got motivated to start MMA.”

The Strickland reference is pointed, given that Chimaev defends his title against the former champion at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev stopped du Plessis to claim the belt and enters the fight as the clear favourite.

McGregor, meanwhile, is expected to make his UFC return at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas, reportedly facing Max Holloway in a rematch of their 2013 bout. Whether a Zuffa Boxing detour fits into either man’s schedule is unclear. Chimaev, at least, has made his interest known.

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