Khamzat Chimaev isn’t exactly known for his boxing in the UFC. However, that hasn’t stopped the Chechen fighter from dreaming of a marquee boxing match against Conor McGregor. The UFC middleweight champion is set to face Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. But ahead of the fight, ‘Borz’ has opened up about other endeavors. 

“I don’t know. Probably would be Zuffa Boxing for boxing with Conor,” Chimaev told reporters when asked about what excites him besides his MMA fights. “Maybe that one. We will just box 12 rounds.”

Conor McGregor remains one of the top draws in the promotion even though he hasn’t fought since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. McGregor took on former five-division champion Floyd Mayweather in a crossover boxing match back in 2017. Although he lost, the fight showcased the possibilities for an MMA fighter, even though making such a fight has proven difficult. 

However, with TKO Group-backed Zuffa Boxing now firmly in the boxing scene, fighters in the UFC, which is owned by TKO, bringing MMA fighters over to boxing has become a lot easier. So, Khamzat Chimaev is hoping Dana White, who is in charge of both UFC and Zuffa Boxing, makes it happen between him and Conor McGregor. 

“I’m not going to move over to boxing,” Chimaev added. “I will be a forever UFC fighter. But maybe if Zuffa gives [me] a chance [to] box with Connor, or [if] Connor wants to accept, that would be nice… Why not?”

If the boxing match somehow ends up happening, Khamzat Chimaev will massively benefit from the fight. So, it didn’t take him long to praise ‘The Mac’ for his boxing skills. 

“Conor is a good boxer, one of the best boxers in the UFC,” Chimaev said. “It would be nice to try and go fight that guy. Good money, too. He talks better than Sean Strickland. It would be fun.”

For now, though, Chimaev’s focus remains on defending his middleweight title for the first time against Sean Strickland later this month. However, in a surprising twist, the undefeated Chechen fighter credited Conor McGregor for everything he is and has today. 

Khamzat Chimaev started MMA after being inspired by Conor McGregor

The former two-division champion has achieved many milestones in the UFC, which is evident from his popularity among fans. However, fans aren’t the only ones who feel inspired by The Mac.’ Speaking further about Conor McGregor, Chimaev claimed McGregor’s stunning knockout win over Jose Aldo in 2015 inspired him to start MMA. 

“When I saw that fight, I heard about how much he made,” Chimaev said. “That’s why I got motivated to start MMA. It’s cool to see. It would be cool [to box him]. Why should it be personal?”

In case you don’t remember, McGregor’s 13-second knockout win over Aldo crowned him the featherweight champion. He later went on to beat Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt and became the promotion’s first simultaneous two-division champion. 

Interestingly, Conor McGregor is rumored to feature on UFC 329 against Max Holloway. However, there’s no official word on it. The International Fight Week event has recently added a fight between Paddy Pimblett and Benoît Saint Denis. 

That being said, a boxing match between Khamzat Chimaev and Conor McGregor might not be impossible, but it’s definitely improbable. At least for now. Would you like to see that fight?