UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev found himself at the center of a social media storm after posting controversial comments following his recent victory.
The UFC star shared a post with the caption “You understand now that you can’t listen to these monkeys” alongside a video compilation featuring several MMA analysts and fighters who had predicted his opponent would win.
The video compilation included prominent figures such as Israel Adesanya, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Chael Sonnen, Tim Welch, Alexander Volkanovski, and Michael Bisping – all of whom had expressed support for Chimaev’s opponent before the bout.
The timing and presentation of the post immediately sparked outrage across social media platforms. Critics pointed out that the video opened with footage of two Black MMA stars, raising serious questions about the implications of Chimaev’s word choice.
One user directly called out the UFC champion, writing: “Khamzat I’m a fan but do you understand what you are saying referring to black men as monkeys ???”
Faced with mounting criticism, Chimaev attempted to clarify his statement, responding: “Monkeys men’s not referring black men, I’m talking about these people who are in the video.”
Despite his explanation, the damage was already done. Social media users expressed disbelief and concern over the post, with many questioning whether Chimaev understood the gravity of his words.
Mixed martial arts fans and observers had varying reactions to the incident. While some users made light of the situation, others expressed genuine surprise that such a post had been made public.
One user wrote: “No way Khamzat just called Izzy a monkey” — a reference to Israel Adesanya, one of the fighters featured in the video.
Another user was more direct, stating bluntly: “You can’t call black people monkeys bro.”
