UFC 267: Khamzat Chimaev corrects Li Jingliang’s translator at press conference before intense stare down
- Chimaev tells Chinese fighter’s translator he is ‘wrong’ ahead of welterweight clash on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi
- ‘Learn virtue before martial arts,’ Li writes on social media, after Dana White is forced to separate the pair
Khamzat Chimaev is clearly a man of many skills when it comes to mixed martial arts.
The 27-year-old Chechen-born Swede (9-0) quickly marked himself out as one of the hottest prospects in the UFC with a whirlwind run of three dominant victories in 2020, before contracting Covid-19 put him on the shelf for nearly a year.
But ahead of his big return at UFC 267 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, “Borz” showed he can also speak Mandarin – which could come in handy against his opponent, the Chinese veteran Li Jingliang (18-6).
“I’m gonna eat him,” said Chimaev, whose nickname is Chechen for “wolf”, while Li calls himself “The Leech”.
“Yeah, of course the past is the past, but right now is right now,” No 11-ranked welterweight Li responded, via a translator, on Thursday night.
“Chimaev only has three fights in the UFC, but he gathers all the attention. And he’s good, and competing with him means I’m good enough to stand with him in the Octagon.”
