Khamzat Chimaev says his sponsorship deals pay more than the UFC title fights
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Khamzat Chimaev has revealed that most of his earnings don’t actually come from his fighting career, but instead from sources outside the octagon. The Chechen fighter is one of the biggest names in combat sports, and last year he became middleweight champion after dethroning Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago. He is scheduled to return on May 9 against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark.
But despite his status, Chimaev relies heavily on sponsorships for his income – a path that’s already caused him problems in the past. He’s now joined a growing list of top fighters who have voiced concerns about their pay from the UFC. Khamzat Chimaev says his earnings outside the UFC top his fight purses Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC Chimaev initially made his name by taking two UFC fights less than a week apart, gaining a reputation for fighting anyone, anywhere, at any weight.
But after battling COVID-19, which nearly ended his career, he’s fought less frequently and has since stopped cutting down to 170lbs. Asked how he responds to criticism about being an inactive champion during an appearance on Beyond The Win, Chimaev laughed it off: “I don’t care what these guys do. I am making millions and people are just talking and doing nothing.
If you do your work I don’t need to watch how often you work or how much you get. “I care about myself, how much I make, how much I get. ” When he was quizzed on if he was happy with his payouts from the UFC, he added: “Of course, I’ve been living in the gym and now I am living my dream.
” When asked if he’d push for a pay rise from the promotion itself, Chimaev replied: “Wherever I go people want to sponsor me. They want to do different things with me and they send this and that. Read more: Nate Diaz rejected bigger UFC offer for Netflix MMA return Jake Paul slams ‘greedy’ Dana White and makes ‘dying’ UFC accusation Arman Tsarukyan reveals why he thinks he would beat Khabib Nurmagomedov