Watch awkward moment angry Khamzat Chimaev is asked about Islam Makhachev’s popular Dagestan phrase

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Watch awkward moment angry Khamzat Chimaev is asked about Islam Makhachev’s popular Dagestan phrase

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Jamie Theodosi | Last updated May 6, 2026 11:03 PM ET

Khamzat Chimaev was left confused when he was asked about Islam Makhachev’s famous ‘2-3 years Dagestan’ phrase.

On Saturday night, Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland‘s intense rivalry finally culminates in what fans are hoping will be a sensational fight in the UFC 328 main event.

Although there was a lot of criticism when it was first announced that Strickland would fight for the 185lb title next, his usual pre-fight antics have increased the anticipation for this fight significantly.

And after the former middleweight champion claimed that he would ‘shoot’ Chimaev if he and his team jumped in, the UFC are taking no risks and have increased the security tenfold for fight week.

Khamzat Chimaev gives angry response after awkward question at media scrum

Throughout fight week, ‘Borz’ has been extremely calm and collected, not doing anything to worry the promotion that he will jeopardize the fight.

It was in fact a media member who came closest to angering the champion with a strange question that he asked him during a media scrum this past Tuesday.

“Islam (Makhachev) has said two-three years in Dagestan, that’s all you need, what’s the secret behind training there and becoming a pro fighter,” a confused media member asked Chimaev.

“Erm, I don’t know, ask Islam, I’m not from Dagestan, I’m from Chechnya. No (I’ve never trained there),” Chimaev angrily responded.

Islam Makhachev famously told Daniel Cormier to send his son to Dagestan for ‘two-three years and forget’, with the phrase having become commonplace in MMA.

Despite that, Chimaev was born in Chechnya and that’s where his journey in MMA began before he moved to Sweden.

Now, though, the 32-year-old trains from California at the Santo Studios, as well as with Sam Calavitta at the Treigning Lab.

Although Chimaev and Makhachev have a mutual respect for each other, there was once a time when there was tension between their two teams.

In 2022, Chimaev ended up in a cageside scuffle with Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s cousin, Abubakar Nurmagomedov.

Khabib went on to facilitate a meeting between the two where both teams squashed their beef respectfully.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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