“I Like Him as a Fighter, but…” – Khamzat Chimaev Reveals the Reason for Snubbing Mike Tyson’s Podcast Invitation

Khamzat Chimaev is one of the top-rising prospects in the UFC. He is building a huge fanbase with his impressive fighting ability and off-field persona. Chimaev regularly appears on podcasts and interviews, giving insight into his life and beliefs.

It is really important for a newcomer in the UFC to build their own identity in order to keep the fans intrigued. And Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t leave any opportunity to express his thoughts. Recently, ‘Borz’ appeared in an interview on YouTube and talked about boxing legend Mike Tyson.

The 27-year-old revealed that he was actually invited by Mike Tyson to his podcast, ‘Hotboxin with Mike Tyson’. However, he also shared that he declined the invitation. ‘Borz’ stated his reasons to dislike Tyson, while respecting him as a fighter.

‘Borz’ was asked about the invitation. “I know that even Mike Tyson called you to his podcast.”

“Yeah, Ali told me about it. But I didn’t have much desire to go,” He replied.

And then he explained why he didn’t want to attend Mike Tyson’s podcast. He said, “I like him as a fighter, but I can’t appreciate all the illegal stuff that happened.

Chimaev then explained that the boxing legend went through a lot all his life. He believes it might be the reason for Tyson to get into the things he mentioned.

Read More: Is Khamzat Chimaev related to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khamzat Chimaev recently defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 via a unanimous decision. This helped him climb the UFC welterweight rankings. Currently, ‘Borz’ is the #3 ranked fighter in the 170lbs division.

Khamzat Chimaev reveals the difference between him and Mike Tyson

Khamzat Chimaev clarified that he respects Mike Tyson irrespective of the differences he stated. However, during the same interview, he also compared himself with ‘Iron Mike’.

Chimaev first said that what happened with Tyson could happen to anybody, including himself because of personal issues. Later on, he compared his killer instinct with that of Tyson and claimed that he is never scared before fights, unlike Tyson.

‘Borz‘ stated, “He said that he was scared before the fights, But I never was, that’s the difference. But surely he was a better boxer than I am. He’s a boxing legend and I am still a novice.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Five times Khamzat Chimaev obliterated his opponents inside the Octagon

His last fight was the only fight of his career against a top-ranked fighter so far. While Chimaev has established himself as a potential champion, there is still a long way to go for him.

What do you think about Khamzat Chimaev’s comments on Mike Tyson? Let us know in the comments section down below.