JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The bottom line is that Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t really care.
At the UFC 273 post-fight news conference backstage at Veterans VyStar Memorial Arena, Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) led off a large amount of his answers letting reporters know just that.
“I don’t care,” he repeated over and over again.
Among the questions that immediately followed his main card unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Burns, which earned a Fight of the Night bonus, Chimaev was asked the question ever eager viewer wanted to know the answer to.
What’s next?
For Chimaev the roadmap is clear: smash everyone put in his path. But when it comes to former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington (17-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC), Chimaev took an extra dig. UFC president Dana White had revealed earlier in the week the promotion hoped to pair the two fighters up for a main event matchup on ABC if Chimaev won – which he did.
“I will fight everybody – of course, if (Covington) doesn’t call the cops,” Chimaev told MMA Junkie. “If Dana White doesn’t go to jail, I’ll be happy to fight, come to the fight, and smash his face. … Of course (I’ll finish him).”
Eager to rack up more knockouts and more money along the way, Chimaev recognizes he needs time off after a three-round, back-and-forth battle against one of the planet’s best welterweight fighters. So a timeline for that potential matchup doesn’t really exist yet.
“I don’t know,” Chimaev said. “When I come back, I come back. We go back home to Sweden and get some recovery. Then, (we) train harder and my team can talk about that. … I have more motivation now, because I didn’t finish that guy. I want to finish everybody.”
Chimaev, 27, defeated John Phillips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, and Li Jingliang prior to his showdown Saturday against Burns. Through 11 professional MMA fights, Chimaev has accumulated 10 finishes. UFC 273 marked the first time he went to the judges’ decision.
Check out Khamzat Chimaev’s full UFC 273 post-fight news conference in the video above.
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