Khamzat Chimaev has cleared up the viral clip of him grappling Jon Jones, saying it was nothing more than a bit of fun between them.
Fans on social media were quick to react to Chimaev’s ‘win’ against Jones that went viral a few weeks ago.
‘Bones’ reportedly agreed to a rematch for their street grappling fight. But according to ‘Borz’, it was all just in good spirits and there was no real competition behind it.
Jones is pushing for a fight at the UFC White House event scheduled for next summer. Chimaev, meanwhile, is dealing with an injury but hopes to return before then.
Now, the Chechen star has opened up on his meeting with the American legend.
Khamzat Chimaev says viral Jon Jones grappling video was not serious
Later in November, footage surfaced of Jones and Chimaev having what looked like a grappling match in a car park. It was not out of character for the two-division champion, who has been known to spar with other fighters in unconventional settings before.
What caught people’s attention was Chimaev, weighing around 185 pounds, managing to take down Jones, who came in at over 237 pounds for his last bout. The clip spread quickly, but it may not have been as intense as it seemed.
“People are posting this wrestling s—. I’m always respectful to my guests, it wasn’t me that was trying to take him down, he started first. Then it slowly becomes wrestling and it was funny,” the middleweight champion told ESPN MMA.
“But it wasn’t real wrestling. People are saying I took him down, he liked it. He was there shooting something and having a good time.”
Jon Jones said to have asked for a rematch after Khamzat Chimaev grapple
Chimaev was believed to have got the better of the exchange, something that was later seen in a video that circulated on social media. The clip showed Jones walking away and repeatedly saying “no”, even asking people not to record the scene.
“Khamzat Chimaev and Jon Jones tested each other’s skills. Chimaev slightly surpassed [Jones]. Jones couldn’t settle with ‘defeat’, he began to shout at the whole terrible ‘no, no’,” said Rizvan Edilsultanov, an amateur photographer who was on the scene.
“But then Alfredo Auditore entered the case, offering for a fight (who can say how much?) to which Jones immediately replied with agreement. Well, what are we waiting for this confrontation?”
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