Times have changed for \u201cBorz.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chimaev, however, isn\u2019t losing sleep over it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Chiamev told Beyond The Win when asked if fan criticism affects him. \u201cI\u2019m making millions. These people are just talking and doing nothing. Like, if you do your work, I don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
And according to the champion, his biggest paydays aren\u2019t even coming from inside the Octagon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was living in a gym, and now, I\u2019m living the dream,\u201d Chimaev said. \u201cI make more money outside of the UFC because of who I\u2019ve become. Wherever I go, people want to sponsor me, they want to do different things with me, and send me things.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a title defense scheduled for May, Chimaev could still end up having a relatively active year \u2014 especially if he\u2019s able to fight for UFC\u2019s annual Abu Dhabi card later in 2026. \u2014 that is, if he defends against his heated rival<\/a>, Strickland.<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re expecting him to fight just to silence critics?<\/p>\n