Khamzat Chimaev has heard the noise, but he’s not interested in entertaining it. The reigning middleweight champion has faced criticism in recent months for his lack of activity, especially when compared to his explosive rise in 2020.

Back then, ‘Borz’ fought three times in rapid succession, quickly establishing himself as one of the roster’s most active and dangerous fighters. But that pace hasn’t carried forward, and critics are already questioning Khamzat Chimaev’s reign.

So, what does ‘Borz’ have to say about it all? Well, in a recent interview, he made it clear that outside opinions—whether from fans or fellow fighters—don’t affect him.

“I don’t care,” he told Beyond The Win. “I make millions, people just talking and doing nothing.

“If you do your work, I don’t need to go and watch you or what, how you do, how often you work, how much you get. I care about myself, you know, how much I make.”

Khamzat Chimaev further highlighted his personal accomplishments and financial success, claiming that he is now “living the dream” after years of hard work in the gym.

“I’ve been living in the gym; now I’m living the dream,” he added.

The middleweight champion’s equation is simple. He’s more than just a fighter looking for opportunities; he’s a global brand that attracts sponsors, business sponsorships, and cash sources outside of the Octagon.

That change in status has shifted his priorities, and he openly admitted that a significant portion of his earnings now comes from outside the UFC.

“I make more money, like, out of the UFC because of who I became you know,” he said. “Khamzat Chimaev, wherever I go, the people, they want to sponsor, they want to do different things with me, and all business and this and that.”

This shift in priorities is exactly what didn’t go unnoticed by Israel Adesanya, who recently questioned why ‘Borz’ hasn’t maintained that same hunger since winning the belt. ‘The Last Stylebender’ pointed out that during his own title reign, he stayed active and continuously called out rivals, suggesting that a champion should always look to defend and stay visible.

“He did well to get the belt, but I’m not sure what’s holding him up or why,” Adesanya told Paramount’s Brian Campbell. “Maybe it was visa issues. I’m not sure. I don’t really follow the MMA news as much, so I’m not sure what’s holding it up.

“Because I felt like he would be an active champion. He should be an active champion because he’s a guy that likes to fight a lot when he was coming up, just like me.”

That question’s been answered, as we know exactly why Khamzat Chimaev isn’t that active anymore. However, that doesn’t mean he’s stepping away from competition altogether. With a title defense against Sean Strickland scheduled, ‘Borz’ could still end up having a relatively active year.

But, if the expectation is that he’ll fight more just to silence critics, he’s already made his stance clear—that’s not part of his motivation anymore.

Will that inactivity bring a change in his fight game? That’s something we’ll get to see at UFC 328. What we do know is that it’s hard to rule Sean Strickland out, and that’s exactly what Israel Adesanya also voiced out in the aforementioned interview.

Israel Adesanya breaks down Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 title defense

That uncertainty around Khamzat Chimaev’s activity only adds another layer to his upcoming clash, something Israel Adesanya clearly recognizes. Having already shared his concerns earlier, ‘The Last Stylebender’ provided a more measured perspective on how the bout with Sean Strickland could play out inside the cage.

Israel Adesanya pointed to the timing of the fight as a key factor.

“I think he (Strickland) can (beat Chimaev) if it goes to the later rounds and he doesn’t get taken down,” Adesanya said. “But again, Chimaev is a bat out of hell. He’s a guy who comes aggressively straight away.

“Strickland can match that probably, but we’ll see. And they’ve trained together, so there’s probably something that happened in the gym that we are not privy to.”

That unpredictability is what keeps Israel Adesanya from ruling Sean Strickland out entirely. For ‘Izzy,’ this isn’t a one-sided matchup; it’s a matter of whether Khamzat Chimaev can impose his pace early on or if ‘Tarzan’ can drag him into deeper waters where things get a lot more interesting.