Did Khamzat Chimaev adopt a fake Liverpool accent?

Khamzat Chimaev is preparing for the biggest money bout of his career. He’ll be going up against Nate Diaz this next weekend at UFC 279. The card was initially criticized as lacking in star power but has since picked up with the addition of Tony Ferguson (who will face Li Jingliang) and Kevin Holland.

An unlikely conspiracy theory emerged online after Chimaev started doing media interviews after an extended hiatus.

One such theory pinpoints a series of clips in which Chimaev adopts an unlikely Liverpool accent.

Chimaev lives in Sweden, where English knowledge is commonly known however his Scouser accent might be a result of him spending extended time periods with UFC middleweight Darren Till.

Till is infamous for his heavy accent – also showcased by fellow Liverpudlians Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett.

Fake accents are a very interesting trigger in the MMA fandom – considering that the fanbase is typically indifferent to political correctness if not even opposed.

Oddly, Darren Till had previously impersonated Chimaev’s accent:

And he wasn’t the only one, famed internet commentator Joe Rogan also did a spot on impression of Chimaev’s infamous phrase.

Chimaev was born in Chechnya in 1994. He immigrated to Sweden in 2013. He was 18 at the time. He represents Sweden in the UFC.