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Khamzat Chimaev and Li Jingliang took their tops off and roared at one another in a clench-fisted remaining confrontation forward of their UFC 267 battle on Saturday, with promotion president Dana White conserving the feuding pair aside.
The fierce aggression of the adversaries’ head-to-head made sense given the grim insults they’ve traded within the build-up, together with the characteristically unsparing Chimaev threatening to variously drop, choke, eat and decapitate the 33-year-old.
Li is conserving any intimidation that may trigger effectively hidden, warning that he’s thirsty to “drink some blood” when he takes on an opponent whose wrestle to make the restrict on the weigh in – Chimaev wanted three makes an attempt and the total allotted hour, amid claims from some followers that he was holding a towel in an try to idiot assessors – may solely enhance his self-belief.
The extra skilled man held the Chinese language flag above his head earlier than striding in the direction of Chimaev, the place the gurning scrappers raised their fists at one another, with solely grinning White separating them.
Safety males ultimately stepped in because the staredown ended, leaving Li on stage longest, pointing a finger at Chimaev and beckoning him ahead. The Chechen-born star responded in sort.
Unbeaten Chimaev’s return to motion after 13 months is likely one of the most anticipated features of the packed card in Abu Dhabi, and ‘Borz’ is clearly bristling to be again within the octagon after an absence enforced by a Covid an infection that he feared would kill him and left him threatening to retire.
“I’ll beat him up,” warned the vastly common 27-year-old, emphasizing that he’s combating primarily to supply life for his mom earlier than turning his attentions to Li’s household.
“Perhaps I’ll end him by headbutt. I is perhaps beating somebody up whereas his mom is watching. His mom, brother or sister could also be crying due to it.
“Sadly, life is like that. You need to beat somebody to earn cash and reside life.”
Whereas Chimaev quickly rose to notoriety by way of these three quickfire wins he racked up in little greater than two months in 2020, Li has been a UFC fighter for greater than seven years, successful ten of his 14 fights together with three profitable stoppages in his final 4 bouts.
“Solely my fists do the speaking,” he smiled, wanting a mannequin of self-assuredness. “That is blended martial arts – something can occur.
“I do know his hanging is nice, his grappling is superb. All of us have weaknesses. We’re on the identical stage.
“My largest weapon is my confidence. Whether or not it is successful or shedding, I’ve numerous good expertise within the UFC. My age, my bodily situation and my psychological attributes are so good.”
Followers who concur with bookmakers’ verdicts that Chimaev is a big favourite may even agree along with his statement that his three earlier UFC victims had confidence and promising data, together with Meerschaert, who lasted 17 seconds regardless of being a longtime fighter.
Li has by no means been knocked out, and Chimaev will hope to have higher luck on Combat Island than he did with the automotive he was thought to have been gifted by Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov.
Not lengthy after Chimaev was pictured with Kadyrov and taking possession of the automobile, photos emerged that purported confirmed it following a crash in Grozny.
“It is nonetheless broken,” stated Chimaev. “My brother took it someplace and I have never seen it since.
“I solely drove it one or two instances, then my brother took it and a buddy of his crashed it.”
After an extended wait, Chimaev is aware of one other win will restart the engine on a stalled profession that he is keen to proceed on the breakneck velocity with which it started.
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