'He's a Weak Man!' | UFC 328 Media Day

0:00 Well, Hamzat, you know,

0:01 they've been trying to keep you guys away from each other.

0:03 You have security everywhere you go.

0:05 Have you seen Sean Strickland at all this week?

0:08 No.

0:08 No, some boy said they see him like

0:12 uh running away from hotel fast after the media.

0:16 The guy who said like he going to shoot me,

0:19 he going to do this, that, and I don't know why he still at other hotels.

0:23 And they were thinking like, you know, wouldn't going to control me.

0:27 And the guy is not here.

0:29 We control this guy.

0:31 You know, do you feel What made you

0:33 post the sparring footage yesterday, by the way?

0:36 Why did you post that?

0:36 No, I was just I find old video, some stuff, just post that.

0:41 Because he's saying like I spar only weak people, you know.

0:45 And on the video we spar that easy, you know, like just touch sparring.

0:49 It's not like 100% like usually I do, I like.

0:52 Because he said he doesn't want to spar hard.

0:56 And when I start to hit hard,

0:58 he was coaching like coach Eric, this guy starting to punch hard.

1:03 Yeah, like he had some problems with his coach Eric,

1:07 too, because I punched him hard.

1:10 And he was always there calling him like,

1:12 "Can you stop this guy?" Yeah, but this guy is lying so much, brother.

1:18 It's crazy.

1:19 You You'd say he's lying?

1:23 Ask the people who's been in the gym.

1:25 Ask his friends is there if they guys is real, they going to answer for that.

1:30 What is more important to you right now, right?

1:32 Because you represent Chechnya and you you want

1:34 to take your belt back to your country, for the people there.

1:38 But also, Sean's not being very nice about

1:40 your country and some of the people there,

1:41 which is more important to you, to take the belt home or to silence Sean?

1:47 What What What do you say?

1:49 Would you Is it more important to you to win this title and defend the belt,

1:52 or is it more important to you to beat Sean Strickland?

1:55 Doesn't matter for me.

1:56 I just came here to but I just make money, you know?

1:59 Beat somebody.

2:00 If he's strong, he's strong.

2:01 If not strong, we're going to beat somebody else.

2:04 I don't care about that you know?

2:06 He's doing his clown so why should I care about that?

2:11 And if it's going to come the belt, if God wills,

2:14 we're going to have this Saturday the belt and go back home.

2:17 Should be happy.

2:19 To let everyone know,

2:20 if tomorrow at the press conference they say let's do a face-off,

2:23 are you happy to do a face-off or do you

2:24 think maybe it's better to just wait until fight night?

2:28 I'm happy today, but why why should I not face-off that guy, man?

2:32 So, I'm happy to fight.

2:35 I'm happy to face-off.

2:36 Why should not?

2:44 Arms up right over here.

2:45 On the Jackson podcast, you said you don't care if you leave the UFC undefeated

2:49 and that you just want to go and do big things.

2:51 Do you think there's any big things left for you at middleweight

2:53 after this fight or are the big things only at light heavyweight?

2:59 I don't think so, but still Sean not big thing for me

3:02 because the guy I beat before I did all five rounds.

3:06 I took that from guy, like, you know?

3:08 I win all five rounds and with Du Plessis and he beats him twice, bro.

3:15 If I stay there, if I beat Sean,

3:17 then Imamu Imamu getting beat off Sean, so what's the point?

3:21 Like, I we just going like Russian roulette?

3:25 No, no.

3:26 I just want to go to a big fight.

3:28 Alex Pereira, if he's going to lose, he's going to come down.

3:31 He's big fighter, big name.

3:33 If he's not, I go to heavyweight, but maybe there as well.

3:37 I need big names, big money.

3:39 So, I came here to do some big things, you know?

3:42 I just not stay here like take the easy fights.

3:47 So, you're saying you're that you're willing to even go up

3:49 to heavyweight for a big fight if the opportunity is there?

3:51 Of course.

3:52 For sure.

3:54 So, you have a group of young guys that have been with you,

3:56 Baysangur, Yusup, Anzor.

3:59 What is it like being the leader of these guys and what

4:01 is it like training and bringing up these young guys from Chechnya?

4:05 I don't try to be a leader of anyone.

4:07 Just all of us have some instincts like alpha wolf, you know?

4:14 So.

4:17 And just good to be with them, good energy.

4:21 The guy is crazy, talented, hard workers like me,

4:26 so that's why I'm happy to work with them and be with them,

4:29 help them, they help me.

4:32 Yeah.

4:34 You've had Khalil Rountree with you for this entire camp.

4:36 He said that if you moved up to light heavyweight be an issue.

4:39 What is it like to kind of have been

4:41 training with him and get that praise from him

4:42 that if you were to move up to light

4:44 heavyweight he thinks you'd kind of just beat everyone up.

4:49 No, I know we're going to fight you, Khalil, but I I can't fight.

4:54 I'm the if I'm brother with you, I'm real brother.

4:56 I don't don't do that things like strong does, you know?

5:00 You call your brother one day and second day he

5:02 fights you and this I can't do that you know?

5:06 I want to be real.

5:11 Hamzat over here.

5:13 There's obviously this added security that we talked about,

5:16 we've seen, there's uniform police officers following you around.

5:19 Is it Is it amusing at all that this is kind of happening?

5:22 Do you think it's necessary?

5:25 Uh no, for me for me it's just no problem.

5:28 Probably I'm from Chechnya and in Chechnya in every 100 m,

5:33 you know, you see military with the Kalashnikov,

5:36 so I don't care about how much security,

5:39 how much these people around here, so this for Sean's safety, you know?

5:45 No, I mean obviously yes,

5:46 this is not to the high degree of that, but is it just kind

5:50 of funny that they're doing something a little

5:52 different this week than normal or I mean,

5:54 do you do you get why the UFC is doing it?

5:58 Ask Dana.

5:59 I'm not UFC.

6:00 I'm just a UFC fighter, man.

6:02 Fair enough.

6:09 Um, so that um I was wondering, you know,

6:11 you mentioned there about but potentially going to to heavyweight.

6:14 Uh do you watch like those guys

6:16 in the heavyweight division and and sort of see like

6:18 because a lot of people say that that's maybe

6:20 a one of the weaker divisions at the moment.

6:22 Do you watch those bigger guys and go like, yeah, I would fancy it against them?

6:26 Of course, I always been training with heavy guys,

6:28 so I train most of my time with Alexander Gustafsson,

6:34 Jimi Manuwa, Gökhan Saki from beginning of my career and I was fighting 170.

6:40 I trained with those guys all with them,

6:42 so I mean, never been problem with weights,

6:45 you know, so I like to eat and I'll find the cage.

6:50 Uh did you see Conor McGregor's message about how you

6:54 and Sean are fighting for he said it was his belt.

6:56 Did you see that?

6:57 What what's your response?

6:59 His belt?

6:59 Bro, he lost his belt 10 years ago.

7:02 So, I don't know.

7:03 This guy should come off a little bit drugs and and he's

7:08 What is this purple purple something he drinking all the time?

7:14 He can bite to normal work and let's fight.

7:18 Let's fight and I don't care boxing.

7:20 I have told I do feel boxing.

7:22 People thinks I'm just a wrestler.

7:23 I don't need to use my just boxing.

7:25 I'm a MMA fighter.

7:26 If I go to the boxing, I'm going to use I'm going to show my boxing, too.

7:30 So, you're you're talking about boxing,

7:31 you're talking about moving to heavyweight.

7:32 You also are going to be wrestling later this year.

7:35 Will you wrestle Kyle Snyder?

7:38 If the group pays good, for sure, but No, no easy money.

7:44 I don't go to that kind of match.

7:45 So, if I want to wrestle like Olympic champs, I'm going to go to Olympic games.

7:50 For UAE.

7:51 So, it's one of the opportunity, too.

7:55 Uh, going off of that, uh, we spoke with one of your coaches, Alan,

7:58 and he said after signing with AREF,

8:01 maybe you could represent the UAE in the Olympic Games.

8:04 Is that something you would be interested in?

8:07 Yeah, of course.

8:08 We got to We got to We got to see.

8:10 Um, first right now,

8:11 I'm just focused on this fight and hopefully get back to Abu Dhabi, fight there.

8:17 Then after that, we will think about it.

8:19 How would an Olympic gold medal compare to winning a UFC championship?

8:26 I don't know.

8:27 Just I'm I'm trying to get the fun have a fun with my life,

8:31 you know, just compete with someone.

8:34 If it's will be hard to get the gold.

8:37 You got to work for that.

8:39 And And then a lot of good guys over there.

8:43 In my way, too.

9:00 You're a very confident in yourself.

9:01 You're obviously a favorite in this fight,

9:03 but is there anything in Sean's arsenal

9:05 that for you potentially could present danger?

9:10 I don't know.

9:25 I'm not sure.

9:25 I guess the fight will have to show.

9:27 I will see We'll see in the fight.

9:28 I'll be very happy if he shows me something

9:30 that I'm surprised by, but the harder the fight,

9:32 the better for me because I can show myself in my best skills.

9:55 Regarding the heightened security, I was talking to Baysangur earlier.

9:58 He said that not only around the hotel,

10:00 but also on your floors there's security.

10:02 Does that affect your preparation this week in any way?

10:04 Do you have to, for instance, you know,

10:06 let them know your movements and stuff like that?

10:08 Does it affect you in any way at all?

10:12 No.

10:12 The guys who are security guys been always in like another fights.

10:15 I know some of them, you know, I see many times, but why should they control us?

10:23 Why should we control them?

10:24 We just doing our thing, they doing their thing.

10:58 The fans are wondering what kind of approach you're going to take this fight

11:01 with all the trash talk that's been said between the two of you,

11:04 specifically from Sean's side.

11:06 Are you looking to punish him and really just maul him

11:10 for 25 minutes just like you did with the former champ,

11:12 or are you looking to finish this quick?

11:14 What's what's the approach to the fight?

11:34 I'm not planning anything specifically.

11:36 You know, it's going to happen the way it's going to happen.

11:39 I'm going to approach the fight the way I always approach the fight.

11:41 I'm going to come out ready and with God's help,

11:43 with Allah's help, we'll see what happens.

12:04 Final question.

12:05 I spoke to Sean last week after his open open workout.

12:08 I asked him at the end of the fight without looking at the result,

12:12 whatever happens happens, will you shake Hamzat's hand?

12:14 And he told me that no,

12:16 there's going to be no handshake and most likely you will die enemies.

12:19 Same question to you, at the end of the fight,

12:22 win or lose, are you willing to shake his hand?

12:51 You know, this is not something that I think about.

12:53 It's not something that I pause to actually contemplate.

12:56 You know, it doesn't matter to me, shake his hand, not shake his hand,

12:59 if I'm going to be his friend or I'm not going to be his friend,

13:01 if I'm ever going to see him again in my life at all.

13:03 It's It's good to be friends with us.

13:05 It's It's not good to not be friends with us.

13:07 Good luck on Saturday.

13:08 Please, one, two.

13:10 Hamzat, uh, privyet.

13:11 This is What Striker the striker was

13:37 Question about Question about the last fight

13:39 where when you were fighting Du Plessis,

13:41 there was two two instances when you actually stood

13:44 up by the referee in order to continue the action

13:46 to kind of get It was It was given

13:48 the opponent the a chance to restart the fight,

13:51 so to speak, back start on on the feet.

13:53 Uh right now, there's a whole different era.

13:55 It's a paramount era.

13:56 People are looking for exciting fights.

13:58 Uh Sean is the kind of fighter that usually keeps the fight standing.

14:01 Have you thought about this scenario where because of excessive wrestling,

14:05 you would be stood up and the fight would have to be restarted on his feet?

14:08 Is it something that you worked specifically on what

14:10 to do during camp if such an instance happens?

14:17 Got to take him down again.

14:18 What should I do?

14:45 It doesn't matter.

14:46 I'll just keep moving forward and I'll take him down again.

14:48 I mean, the referee does his job.

14:50 That's his job.

14:50 If he's going to tell us to stand up and fight, we'll stand up and fight.

14:53 If he'll tell us to take him down, we'll take him down.

14:55 This is what we can do.

14:56 We can approach the fight and we're going to do whatever whatever strategies.

14:58 We'll see what happens.

15:00 The fight will show, but the idea is to come out there and dominate.

15:16 If If Arman goes up to middleweight,

15:19 do you think he'll be be to beat Sean Strickland in the fight.

15:27 Yeah, of course he can beat him now.

15:31 Hi champ.

15:32 Were you happy to not have to fight

15:34 against Nassourdine Imavov as a Caucasian brother

15:37 and do you think he will be

15:38 the next champion after you in the middleweight division?

15:44 I have opportunity to fight him.

15:46 If you see a further but what should we do?

15:50 He is a worker in the office.

15:51 I am So, if you say wanted we got to do that but of course we both don't

15:57 want to fight each other because the same religion

15:59 same same country almost and like we know each other.

16:03 He is a good guy.

16:04 I believe he's the next champion.

16:06 Thank you.

16:07 Good luck.

16:10 Hamzat Two left.

16:11 A lot of the rumors about you and Sean sparring

16:14 is that you're able to submit him in the gym.

16:16 No one has ever attempted a submission on Sean Strickland in a UFC fight.

16:21 How do you think he's going to react when you try to submit him in the cage?

16:28 We fought kind of me.

16:31 I don't know.

16:32 I never seen some good wrestlers.

16:36 Think about it.

16:37 Imagine the DP takes him down like 10 times.

16:40 And if I try to take some of them there is salaam alaikum.

16:51 You're asking chat GPT like hey uh what can I ask Sean to you know,

16:56 I've already asked him everything.

16:58 Well, you know, what was your reaction

17:00 when he posted the sparring footage last night?

17:03 Oh god.

17:03 You know what's funny that's what led to me calling him out.

17:07 Um What was it like?

17:08 How long was the clip?

17:09 23 seconds.

17:10 Like 23 seconds.

17:11 And my thing what a little dirty bastard.

17:13 You like you you post a light sparring.

17:16 Let me take the hat off before they cut me.

17:17 I try not to represent Monster on any press conference

17:20 where I say something racist or based as they would say.

17:25 [laughter] Statistics, man.

17:28 They So weird how there's a racist these days.

17:31 I don't know a lot of terrorists,

17:32 but normally they uh normally they don't know they're Allahu Akbar.

17:35 But uh [snorts] No, anyways, man.

17:38 But like that's what I'm talking about.

17:40 Like the guy's just a little rat, dude.

17:42 One, I didn't know you were filming and those were our warm-up rounds.

17:46 It's like, dude, you're just like you're just a weak man.

17:48 You're just a weak weak man.

17:50 I mean, why don't you take that, a weak man?

17:53 I kind of to be honest, I didn't think there was a lot in the clip.

17:56 Yeah, but it's also like what is the point?

17:57 You were light sparring and you show like I mean,

18:00 those shorts were a questionable on my part, you know?

18:02 I mean, but they they were Amazon, you know?

18:05 It was a bad angle for you.

18:06 Yeah, it was bad it was bad angle.

18:07 It was bad angle, but you know, I mean, hey, I like women and he likes goats.

18:10 I win there.

18:12 Did Did you guys spar more than that or was

18:14 that the only round that you guys ever did?

18:16 No, we actually only did we did one we did one we've only

18:19 sparred once and we did a like I think it was three rounds spar.

18:25 So, we sparred once, but um

18:28 [clears throat]

18:27 I like I I kept telling you this, dude.

18:29 I when I go to a gym, I want to spar the best guy.

18:32 I want to spar him, but he would always just go beat up the lower level guys.

18:36 I don't know, man.

18:38 He He said yesterday in his media that he

18:41 called Hunter up and asked for this fight.

18:42 He said he wanted to try your meat and he called for the fight.

18:45 Try my meat.

18:46 Do you think he took something out of those spars that made him want this fight?

18:50 Do you even believe he asked for this fight?

18:51 What do you think is making him so confident coming into this one?

18:55 No, I mean, of course he I don't know, man.

18:57 Try my What does he even mean?

18:59 Did you call me a when that happened?

19:00 Did you say What are you trying to say, dude?

19:02 All right, relax.

19:04 No, I mean, I think [clears throat] it's also a good fight.

19:06 I think it's a fun fight, you know?

19:07 There's so many people in the division where it's like like one of the top five,

19:11 Brendan Allen, his punching bag, his his meat.

19:14 You know, like what like what else in the top five division you have right now?

19:18 Like So, it's kind of it's kind of nice just to get a fresh look, new blood.

19:22 So, I think the fight just kind of made sense.

19:24 Do you get the impression that if you can't get this done,

19:27 there's no one else in this division who can?

19:31 [sighs] You know, hopefully guys are learning how to wrestle these days.

19:36 It's just really hard, dude, when you when you're dealing with that kind

19:39 of like Chechen style of leg humping.

19:41 It's like it's a Unless you've experienced it before,

19:45 it's something it's hard to train for, you know?

19:47 Cuz they just get on your leg and they just hold on for dear life.

19:51 You know, they don't really it it's it's

19:53 hard to experience unless you train with these guys.

19:55 I've trained with these guys forever, so I kind of know what it's like.

19:58 Do you find like, you know, everyone's talking like,

20:00 "Oh, they can't see each other in the lobby.

20:02 We might not be able to do a face-off." Are you kind of getting

20:04 a little bit bored of that narrative that it's a bit like you are both a

20:07 I mean, I'm I don't think he gives a does he?

20:09 He doesn't seem to.

20:10 Yeah, like I it's I don't know, man.

20:13 I think I didn't even know how did this even get started?

20:17 Oh, I know how it got started.

20:18 He said like something about jumping me.

20:20 He made a joke about like,

20:22 "All my friends would jump you." And I said like, "Dude, you're a coward.

20:26 I'm a grown ass man.

20:27 At no point in my life like at no point in my life have I ever said,

20:30 'I'm going to jump this man.'" Like to me to say that and look myself

20:34 in the mirror after saying that and and saying

20:36 that I'm going to threaten you with my fans.

20:38 Like it kind of makes me feel like a So,

20:40 the fact that you can say that, that's why I say you're a weak man.

20:42 So, I think I said that like, "Well,

20:44 if you or any Chechen who rolls up to me, they're going to get you know,

20:47 I think what I got like 20 plus one on my carry guns like 18 plus one." So,

20:53 but I mean, that's that's realistic.

20:54 Like if if you walk outside and there's five

20:57 Chechens trying to fight I'm not in New Jersey,

20:58 obviously, cuz we're in a communist state.

21:01 But in Vegas, if I walk outside and there's three Chechens,

21:04 I legally you put a bullet in each and every one of them.

21:07 Why?

21:08 Because in America we value being a man.

21:12 In America we value one-on-one fights.

21:15 We value stand your ground.

21:16 What we don't value is being a weak third world who threatens friends.

21:21 Like it's such a soft soft mentality.

21:23 Soft man.

21:24 Soft man.

21:25 You agree though, right?

21:26 That is kind of a mentality, right?

21:27 I don't.

21:28 Show hands.

21:28 Everybody's raising their hand.

21:31 [laughter]

21:31 But did you take he tweeted about you know your growing up and stuff like that?

21:35 Which sometimes people like to throw out your way.

21:36 Did you even see it.

21:37 What he say?

21:38 You can say it.

21:38 You repeat it.

21:39 He said that your dad made you a girl.

21:43 [laughter] You know honestly like I mean my dad kind

21:45 of made me violent cuz he was such a weak man.

21:47 You're going to find that like maybe Chimaev included

21:51 like growing up my dad was like the boogeyman.

21:55 Like he was the scariest thing the scariest thing in my life.

22:00 You know watch him beat up my mom, throw beer bottles at me.

22:03 So it's like to me my dad he almost made me a little bit like sociopathic.

22:07 More like a sociopath than anything.

22:09 He probably did more harm than good.

22:11 And I'll never I'll I'll never forget I was like I think I

22:14 was 17 years old and like he wasn't letting my mom go to work.

22:19 And I I walked in there and I was like dad

22:22 like I I think I was a fighter at the time.

22:23 I probably dropped out of high school.

22:24 I was probably a loser.

22:26 And I walked in there and I was like dude you

22:28 got to you got to let her go to work dude.

22:29 Like you got to let her go to work.

22:30 Mortgage must be paid.

22:31 And the guy gets in my face.

22:34 And he says like I'm your dad.

22:35 You're going you're going to hit me?

22:37 And I remember I just said like you know

22:38 what it dude today's the day and I headbutted him.

22:40 Broke his nose.

22:41 Fell down and this guy started crying.

22:44 And it was like so disappointing to me because

22:46 I seen this guy who was like this psychopath

22:50 my whole life who I was scared of and you

22:52 just see him this whiny little on the floor bleeding.

22:55 So it's like if anything I would say

22:57 my my dad probably more made me a sociopath than [laughter]

23:01 why why I'm going to have have to shoot three Chechens on stand your ground law.

23:06 [gasps]

23:06 I'll leave it on this one.

23:07 Look, the fight itself everyone knows he's going to come out,

23:09 he's going to be aggressive, he's going to shoot really early,

23:10 and you're going to have to scramble get work your way back up.

23:13 At what point in the fight do you think you start to turn it in your favor?

23:16 You know, I don't I don't have a I don't

23:18 have an issue like my boy Johnny's in the back, dude.

23:20 Let's go, dude.

23:21 [clears throat] My boy's Johnny in the back, dude.

23:22 I think he's a far better wrestler than he's a far better wrestler than Chimaev.

23:26 He shoots better, has a better stand up,

23:28 so it's like I've been training with the guys that are better than him.

23:31 I think Johnny beats him on on any Saturday.

23:35 So, I I just like I don't know, man.

23:37 I I just I don't think he's going to put anything at me where I'm like,

23:40 "Oh, that's that's you know,

23:41 maybe if he faints right and lands and gets lucky and lands a punch,

23:44 but like punch for punch, wrestle for wrestle, I got this." But that was quick.

23:53 Sean, just uh curious uh obviously a lot of people

23:55 talking about the grappling with this fight and people

23:58 noticed a stat leading in that in all your UFC

24:00 fights no one has ever attempted a submission against you.

24:03 Uh maybe because I've only fought men, I don't know.

24:08 [laughter]

24:08 Does that Does that surprise you at all or like did you know that stat?

24:11 I mean dude, submissions are gay, dude.

24:13 It's like you they're gay.

24:14 Like I'm sad that I have to potentially have to deal

24:17 with a guy who wants to dry hump my leg.

24:19 It's uh I but I'm also never really

24:22 in a position to for guys to do submissions, right?

24:26 Like I don't I don't want to go on my back, you know?

24:28 I'm not into that Uh what would mean more to you

24:32 this title win or your victory over Israel Adesanya?

24:35 Oh, man.

24:36 You know, dude, I like Let me tell you guys,

24:38 I don't like living in the past, you know?

24:40 I'm always a forward must move forward kind of guy.

24:43 You know, it was dope, but you know, a W's a W and an L's an L.

24:46 I think with Chimaev it's more of like a just

24:48 a kind of a score to settle, you know?

24:50 Cuz we trained, I think I you up, you think you me up,

24:53 and it's like it's really like we just get to find out who.

24:57 What do you want your title reign to be different compared to the first time?

24:59 Like obviously, you weren't able to defend it.

25:01 You had a pretty quick turnaround.

25:02 Is things going to be different this time around?

25:05 No, dude.

25:05 Are you kidding me?

25:06 I don't want a quick turnaround always, you know.

25:08 I'm not Chimaev.

25:09 I'm not going to go home and suck off

25:10 a dictator for a year and live in fame, dude.

25:13 I want to go fight, dog.

25:14 I want to make money.

25:16 Do you think Nasurdin Imavov is a top contender?

25:18 Oh, yeah, Nasurdin.

25:20 I mean, I guess is he the top contender now?

25:21 I guess so.

25:22 I mean, you know, the angry the angry the angry Muslim the angry Muslim.

25:26 I guess so.

25:27 We'll fight another angry Muslim.

25:28 Swear to God, dude, the UFC like I wonder if the UFC wakes up and says,

25:32 "I want to actively ruin this sport, you know.

25:34 Let's go get the Let's go get the most unlikable pieces

25:38 of and like let's put them in the UFC like Tank Abbott, Matt Hughes.

25:43 Like let's just go and get the most unlikable dude.

25:47 I mean, I told you the story, but um I I think I made a joke on Islam, you know.

25:52 I like I try to lay off of it cuz I have a lot of Muslim buddies.

25:55 So, like even though it's really hard for me not to, I try not to cuz like,

25:59 you know, I have like Muslim guys come up like, "Sean, like you know,

26:02 you met my mom, you met my sister,

26:03 you met my kid and you're sitting there like talking on my religion." I'm like,

26:07 "God dammit, dude." But like maybe that's your sign, right?

26:10 Like I I had any Christians in the room, you know, had any Christians?

26:13 I can make fun of Christ all day long and you guys can be like,

26:15 "Well, you're going to hell,

26:16 but good luck." But maybe that maybe that's your sign.

26:19 But I I try not to go too hard

26:21 on Islam these days just for the sake of my friends,

26:24 but it made me laugh cuz he said something like he said

26:27 something like Ali Ali Akbar to a tweet or something I did.

26:31 And I was like, "Bro, remember with Charlie Hebdo?

26:34 You remember that?

26:34 Remember that when you piece of went there and murdered that guy in France?

26:39 Did you post about him?

26:40 Did you condemn that?" It's like at the end of the day, dude,

26:43 these guys even Chimaev said, "Well,

26:44 my Muslim community." Dude, your Muslim community, bro,

26:47 you guys are like if that's your Muslim community that you

26:50 you to jump somebody or go murder someone for freedom of speech,

26:53 like you have a serious problem.

26:55 And that is why the UFC bring these in fighter or not.

26:59 You just like you make the sport almost unwatchable because

27:01 you're bringing these people that are not compatible with America,

27:05 that Americans don't give a about.

27:06 They don't understand America.

27:07 They can never be an American.

27:09 So it's one of those like shitty things where it's

27:11 like the UFC will just keep doing it, keep doing it.

27:13 But I'm at some point you I don't give a about Nassourdine.

27:17 And that was lastly for me.

27:19 Um I see obviously like the odds makers have you like a five to one underdog,

27:22 but I see a lot of fighters like the likes of Joe Rogan talking

27:26 about how you're built for this fight and you have the skill set to win.

27:29 What's the difference between what all those people

27:31 are seeing and what the betting public is seeing?

27:34 Chimaev's best chance, it's not going to be grappling.

27:36 It's going to be maybe if he slips right

27:37 and does an overhand or something or if he gets lucky.

27:39 But at the end of the day, guys, you could bring the best grappler in the world

27:43 and you could have this grapple for an hour.

27:45 I will win.

27:46 I will win.

27:47 All I do is grapple.

27:48 You guys What do you guys think I The reason

27:49 why I don't post grappling is cuz it's gay.

27:52 I could go show me and Michelle trying to give each other CTE and that's great.

27:56 Do you really want to see me and two guys in the missionary position?

27:59 Just like it's gay, dude.

28:01 I don't want to do it.

28:04 Sean, on the countdown Eric referred to you as maybe the captain over extreme.

28:08 So I guess what's what's camp been like,

28:11 you know, with Francis preparing for his fight?

28:13 Johnny just got his new fight.

28:15 Francis, bro?

28:15 You're not allowed to say that.

28:16 Do you see that logo?

28:17 Wait, where does this logo go?

28:19 You can't say that.

28:20 Francis is not allowed to be talked about.

28:23 now?

28:24 I actually tried to bring him to the PI to wrestle with us in the UFC.

28:26 They're like, "No, no, no." It was like, "You can't do that." Like,

28:28 "What the dude?" African man walked across a continent barefoot,

28:32 you know, and you just you just that salty cuz he

28:35 wanted to go make more money and and better his life.

28:37 Crazy, like But uh you know, UFC you UFC's going to UFC.

28:42 But no, dude, my camp's been great, you know.

28:44 Honestly, I I hate training with Johnny.

28:46 I I truly hate training with Johnny Eblen.

28:48 Like it's uh out of I I go and I

28:51 look at his sparring and he's just beating up Brendan Allen,

28:54 using him as a piece of meat.

28:56 I'm like, "That'd be so nice.

28:57 Can we get Brendan Allen here?" Like I want him as a training partner.

29:01 Here I am training with Johnny, like world champion,

29:03 like just having a five-round death match every day.

29:07 And I'm like, "That'd be real nice."

29:09 Who's the tougher spar between Francis and Alex?

29:15 Oh.

29:14 That's a hard one, dude.

29:15 Um Alex, you know, and this is where Alex is

29:20 going to excel so much at heavyweights cuz like heavyweights,

29:22 they're heavyweights.

29:23 Alex is not a heavyweight.

29:25 Alex is a 205er with a heavyweight build that could be heavyweight,

29:29 and that's why you're going to see him

29:30 succeed so much because you're fighting lower competition.

29:34 You're faster, you hit harder.

29:35 So no, I think um But then Francis is big and black, bro.

29:41 [laughter] I don't know, dude.

29:43 [snorts] If I had to pick who I had to fight, dude, I don't know, dude.

29:46 Uh I mean, we already know how one went, [laughter] you know.

29:51 I don't know, man.

29:52 They both suck.

29:54 [snorts]

29:55 You mentioned just now you said, you know, you have Muslim friends who say,

29:57 "Why do you Why do you pick on them,

29:59 right?" Why not just keep the trash talk confined

30:02 to the to the fighter himself and go instead of going beyond [clears throat]

30:08 the country Well, let me tell you, he kind of made that about that.

30:11 He was the one that says this white guy, this American,

30:14 like he kind of he kind of made that realm of I mean,

30:18 the first time I met he he didn't funny joke.

30:20 He joked about being a terrorist.

30:21 I've literally the first time I met the guy.

30:23 He's like, "Oh, I'm a terrorist,

30:23 man." I didn't say that, But no, you know what it is, dude?

30:28 We live in a world right now where we're being like

30:32 forced to conform to ideologies and beliefs that don't fit America.

30:37 Like even um I mean,

30:38 look at these Somali communities that come and just defraud the government.

30:42 We are being forced right now as as someone who built the Western world,

30:47 who is a beacon of hope and freedom.

30:49 Like the rest of world models themselves off America

30:52 and we're being forced to import these third world

30:55 that have really no right or beliefs or identity

30:59 as America and they don't come and they don't merge.

31:02 They're not a melting pot.

31:03 They don't come and say, you know what man, I love freedom of speech.

31:06 Draw any prof- draw any picture of Muhammad you want.

31:09 Like they don't do that.

31:10 They come here and they actively try to change their country to our country.

31:15 They try to change it to their country that they left it that sucks.

31:19 And it's just a damn shame that we

31:21 have these liberals that keep promoting that idea.

31:24 If you want to be if you want to go have Sharia law and you want to go

31:28 you want to go cover up your wife and put her in a towel and a blanket,

31:31 go back to your shitty country.

31:33 We're not doing this in America.

31:35 And every proud Americans, white, black, Mexican, brown,

31:39 you guys have to speak up because these people

31:41 are actively against everything we stand for as Americans.

31:45 Has anyone you ever trust or respected strongly suggested you cool down

31:49 the rhetoric and there might be more opportunity especially if you're a champion

31:52 I again, I don't give a dude.

31:53 If if Nike if Nike wants to come give me a I mean to Nike.

31:56 You want to come give me a a logo

31:59 as you go use little Chinese kids and make shoes.

32:01 Like these major companies.

32:03 You don't want to sponsor me, go yourself.

32:05 You're actually the problem, dude.

32:07 Your DI initiatives.

32:08 Like I don't give a dude.

32:09 I don't need to get rich, man.

32:10 I'm good.

32:11 I can retire right now.

32:11 I don't What, an extra million dollars?

32:13 Well, I don't give a dude.

32:15 Keep keep your money, you corporate scumbags.

32:22 Sean, like obviously the the security here is much more elevated.

32:25 You're followed around.

32:27 Um you know, when you left yesterday the the police

32:29 are Are they are they state police who's following you?

32:32 Yeah, state police.

32:33 I don't know.

32:33 They're state police.

32:33 Really good guys, dude.

32:34 Really good guys, you know.

32:35 I'm sure.

32:35 I'm sure.

32:36 But they're you know, they're you know, finishing up with media.

32:38 Sean's on the move, you know, they're Is Is this amusing to you?

32:41 You know, I Let me tell you guys it's not the first time where I had security.

32:44 I think I've had a couple fights where I've had security.

32:46 This is probably the highest security.

32:48 But again, you know,

32:50 I don't think I don't think there really is a problem with with me and Chimaev.

32:53 Like if me and Chimaev were here right now, we're not going to fight, obviously.

32:56 We're going to fight Saturday.

32:58 But this goes back to his point.

33:00 Chimaev will come and he has to bring 30 fanatical Chechnyans

33:05 and they cannot be trusted because they are not compatible with us.

33:09 So, why do we have security?

33:10 We have security because you somehow America we've

33:13 somehow let these savages come to our country

33:16 and he brings a 30-man entourage and I have to be in America and New Jersey,

33:21 by the way, is a piece of state.

33:22 No offense, New Jerseyans.

33:23 No stand your ground, no concealed carry.

33:25 It's real bad here.

33:27 But as an American, I have to be here but like, hey,

33:29 there're 30 30 third-world country that won't fight alone,

33:34 that are walking around real stabby.

33:36 Like if this proves my point more than anything, I don't know what else does.

33:42 Have you been able to kind of explore at all or like

33:44 are you interested in going anywhere or that kind of thing?

33:46 How How much has this kind of affected your No, I I actually love it, man.

33:50 I It's way more quiet, you know?

33:51 I I don't get people harassing me.

33:53 Usually, especially title fights, it's a I always go the extra mile fans.

33:58 If any fan comes up to me, like doesn't matter.

34:00 I always go the extra mile.

34:01 So, it's kind of nice just not having to do that, you know?

34:04 And I mean, I I love fans, but title fights here is like a There's

34:08 a different level of like people that show up.

34:11 They're more into the UFC.

34:13 So, it's kind of nice being able to zone out a little bit more.

34:15 You said this is a little more elevated than it's been in the past.

34:17 Like what are some other op- times, I guess,

34:20 where you did have a little bit of security with you?

34:22 Oh, I think when I hit that guy in Australia.

34:25 Love love tap.

34:26 Love tap.

34:26 By the way, it was We got to find

34:27 that guy and give him a shirt or a ticket, dude.

34:29 Bring that in.

34:30 I mean, he didn't come up and say anything, press charge.

34:32 It was more like a like a a tap.

34:34 It was more like a love tap, almost a hit.

34:36 But, um [clears throat] No, I think with me, I think usually with security,

34:40 they just know that I'm volatile.

34:42 And I want to say I'm volatile, like I hit people that deserve to get hit.

34:45 Like, I'm not going to go out there and just attack,

34:46 you know, attack you or attack him.

34:48 But, like if a needs to get hit, I'm going to hit him.

34:51 I'm going to hit him and I don't give a I'll I'll take my assault charge.

34:55 I'll go spend a couple months in jail.

34:56 I don't give a you know?

34:57 So, I think the UFC is just more cautious because they

35:00 know that uh that I will hit a Chechnyan or not,

35:03 30 of them or 20 of them or two of them, I will hit them.

35:05 Do you really think anything is going

35:06 to happen between now and fight night as well?

35:08 No, I know, of course not.

35:09 Of course not.

35:10 But, I mean, how much money is UFC invested in this, you know?

35:12 If one one up, next thing you know,

35:15 they lose you know, billions of millions of dollars.

35:18 So, I I think right now they're trying to protect their investment.

35:21 But, I think everything's fine.

35:25 Sean, uh the talk is that Chimaev is going

35:27 to move up to light heavyweight after he beats you.

35:30 If you win, do you think he stays and chases that rematch?

35:34 Mhm.

35:35 Yeah, no, I I don't know.

35:36 I think he would.

35:37 I I think I think light heavyweight's probably

35:39 significantly easier division right now than the middleweight.

35:42 I mean, I should move up to light heavyweight.

35:44 It'd be way easier than middleweights.

35:46 It's kind of like again,

35:47 there's something with like and this is a known thing in the industry.

35:51 There's a skill gap as you go up.

35:54 So, I'll give you an example.

35:55 I like [clears throat] I'll coach a lot of guys.

35:57 I'll help a lot of guys.

35:59 So, I'll go and like coach the little guys, the 45ers, the 55ers.

36:02 And sometimes I'm watching these guys and I'm like,

36:04 you are doing everything perfect.

36:06 You're checking kicks.

36:08 You're punching.

36:09 Your volume.

36:10 Your shooting.

36:10 Like you are doing everything perfect.

36:13 I have nothing to say to you, right?

36:15 And then I'll go watch a heavyweight guy and I'm like,

36:17 dude, you're leaning back.

36:18 You're dropping your punch.

36:20 You're doing like I could watch a heavyweight

36:21 fight and there's a million things wrong.

36:23 So, it's a known thing that there's

36:26 a skill gap between smaller guys and bigger guys.

36:29 So, it's kind of smart, you know, like I just got to go and I can't tell

36:32 you how many top like Tom Aslan I sparred Tom Aslan.

36:34 I mean, I I could fight this guy.

36:36 You know, I could fight this guy.

36:37 He's big, but I could fight him.

36:39 But uh yeah, so I think it I think a lot of guys moving up,

36:42 it just they're realizing it's just an easier time moving up.

36:46 With that being said, is there a time where you move up to light heavyweight?

36:50 You know, I mean, maybe maybe if I want to you know,

36:53 enjoy life a little bit more like I like [sighs]

36:56 I'm trying to think of all the light heavyweights I've sparred.

37:00 Ankalaev, he's Ankalaev would be a fight.

37:03 Uh Ankalaev I think beats Chimaev any day of the week,

37:06 so Ankalaev will probably be the next champion hands down.

37:10 I mean, it's it's crazy that um Alex like I said and that's how you know

37:14 that you deserve your ranking and you

37:15 and you are a champion because you beat Ankalaev.

37:17 Ankalaev is probably one of the best 205ers I've ever sparred.

37:20 Thank you.

37:22 All right, that's it.

37:23 All right, guys.

37:24 Have a good one.

37:25 You Yeah, this guy.

37:26 Are you trying to race bait me?

37:32 Let's talk about Muslims.