Khamzat Chimaev has revealed that his biggest earnings come outside of the octagon, not as a world champion in it.
The Chechen star is one of the biggest names in combat sports, and last year dethroned Dricus Du Plessis to become middleweight champion at UFC 319 in Chicago. He is set to return on May 9 against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark.
However, despite his massive star power, Chimaev has to resort to sponsorships – which have landed him in hot water in the past – to make his big money. He is the latest high-level fighter to discuss pay from the UFC in a less than favorable way.
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Khamzat Chimaev details how he makes more money outside of the UFC
After bursting on to the scene with two UFC fights in less than a week, Khamzat Chimaev became known as someone who will fight anyone, any time at any weight. However, a battle with coronavirus threatened his entire career, and he now fights much less regularly and has completely given up on making 170lb.
Speaking on Beyond The Win, he was asked how he reacts to those who mock him for being an inactive champion, Chimaev laughed before replying: “I don’t care what these guys do.
“I am making millions and people are just talking and doing nothing, if you do your work I don’t need to watch how often you work or how much you get.
“I care about myself, how much I make, how much I get.” When he was quizzed on if he was happy with his payouts from the UFC, he added: “Of course, I’ve been living in the gym and now I am living my dream.”
He was also questioned about asking for more money from the promotion, he noted that he would try but declared: “I make more money out of the UFC because of what I’ve become, like ‘Khamzat Chimaev’.
“Wherever I go, people want to sponsor me, they want to do different things with me and they send this and that