Khamzat Chimaev has been criticised for shooting a takedown instead of touching gloves with Kevin Holland in his UFC 279 victory.
Chimaev defeated replacement opponent Kevin Holland with an opening round submission at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Chechen star had already faced heavy criticism going into the event, having shown little remorse after missing weight for his original fight with Nate Diaz.
His behaviour came under further scrutiny after failing to touch gloves with Holland when the opening bell sounded, instead opting to make an early takedown attempt which caught his opponent off guard. Former MMA star Josh Thomson and John McCarthy analysed his actions on their podcast WEIGHING IN, with Thomson first suggesting: "That was not cheating, that's being a poor sport."
McCarthy replied with a lengthy assessment of Chimaev's move, saying: "People let's make this as clear as we can. There's that whole thing of protect yourself at all times, and as soon as that referee starts the fight, I tell the guys this all the time - you wanna go out there, you wanna touch gloves, you wanna hug, and all that stuff - hey, that's okay go ahead, it's on you.
"But don't be upset when he goes and he either takes your legs out or he lands a shot on you while you're trying to give a hug. I started the fight, started that round, it's on you." Chimaev dominated the fight and earned victory with a lightning quick submission to continue his undefeated UFC rise.
What did you make of Khamzat Chimaev's move at UFC 279? Let us know in the comments section below
The Swedish star was left bemused by the 'cheating' claims, and believes he was right to perform the move as soon as the fight got underway. “What?," Chimaev said when asked about the takedown at the post-fight press conference. “I don’t understand, how are we going to see this? I want to take off his head, I’m going to watch his hands? I was watching his head. I don’t know, always people find some funny things to say. They want to go back, we’ll go back and do it over again."
Touching gloves at the start of the fight is not considered mandatory in MMA, but is seen as a mark of respect which most fighters adhere too irrespective of their rivalry. Chimaev made light work of Holland and recorded his latest victory which sees him in a leading position to challenge for the 170lb title.
