Times have changed for “Borz.”
Chimaev, however, isn’t losing sleep over it.
“I don’t care,” Chiamev told Beyond The Win when asked if fan criticism affects him. “I’m making millions. These people are just talking and doing nothing. Like, if you do your work, I don’t need to go and watch you and [judge you] on how you do, how often you work out, how much you get. I care about myself, how much I make, and how much I fight.”
And according to the champion, his biggest paydays aren’t even coming from inside the Octagon.
“I was living in a gym, and now, I’m living the dream,” Chimaev said. “I make more money outside of the UFC because of who I’ve become. Wherever I go, people want to sponsor me, they want to do different things with me, and send me things.”
With a title defense scheduled for May, Chimaev could still end up having a relatively active year — especially if he’s able to fight for UFC’s annual Abu Dhabi card later in 2026. — that is, if he defends against his heated rival, Strickland.
But if you’re expecting him to fight just to silence critics?
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.