Jorge Masvidal: Khamzat Chimaev's 'crotch sniffing' isn't fighting

Jorge Masvidal is not a fan of UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev . While speaking to top contender Joe Pyfer, Masvidal took aim at Chimaev's fighting style. Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) was especially criticized for his title-winning performance over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 , where he took him down 12 times and controlled him for more than 21 minutes.

"None of that crotch sniffing, just sit there and sniff crotches," Masvidal said of Chimaev on his "Death Row MMA Podcast. " "You have a chance to strike, but you're just holding the guy down because you're so scared they're going to get away when you're just at a halfway position just holding on for dear life. You're not advancing, you're not causing damage, and all you're doing is literally holding.

Yeah, you're a better wrestler, but that's not fighting. " More: UFC schedule 2026: Every Q2 main event and title fight, ranked Masvidal weighs in on Chimaev vs. Strickland Chimaev makes his first title defense against Sean Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) in the UFC 328 headliner May 9 in Newark, N.

J. ( Paramount+ ). Masvidal thinks Strickland has the ability to resist the champion on the ground.