Khamzat Chimaev was the subject of a lot of controversy during UFC 279 fight week. The controversy followed him to the octagon, both during and after the fight.
Leading up to the fight, Khamzat Chimaev was involved in an altercation and a backstage brawl that brought the cancelation of the UFC 279 press conference before missing weight.
Many fans were not thrilled with Chimaev’s actions prior to the fight. Following his victory, Chimaev created more controversy in his post-fight interview. Teddy Atlas has now compared Chimaev’s post-fight outburst to that of a legendary boxer.
Speaking on his podcast, THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, the long-time boxing trainer and commentator compared Chimaev’s interview to a memorable interview of Mike Tyson, stating (starting at the 15:42 mark):
“That’s his brand, that sells, that goes with his image. No different than Mike Tyson when he said ‘I will eat your children’. I mean, that’s not a nice thing to say, I will eat your children. You could pick something better, but again it was part of the brand. It was part of the selling point. It was part of his trademark. It was part of what people looked for and expected.
Atlas continued by comparing the comments to Nightmare on Elm Street character Freddy Kreuger, adding:
“The scary part of Freddy Kreuger coming out again, it’s got to be scary, otherwise what are you gonna watch Freddy Kreuger for? Why would you talk to me that way when you know I will kill you for that and I will eat your children? There’s a precedent for it, and who knows, maybe these guys get it from guys like Tyson and Tyson gets it from guys before him.
Watch Teddy Atlas compare Khamzat Chimaev and Mike Tyson’s interviews below:
Revisiting Khamzat Chimaev and Mike Tyson’s comments
Khamzat Chimaev drew boos for declaring that he would “kill everyone”. His comments did not sit well with fans. Chimaev also stated that he didn’t care that he missed weight, which angered fans even more.
Mike Tyson‘s previously mentioned interview was unforgettable, and over twenty years later, it remains one of the most well-known interviews in combat sports history.
Tyson declared himself the best ever while comparing himself to other legendary boxers.
Revisit Mike Tyson’s quick knockout of Lou Savarese that led to his iconic post-fight speech: