Khamzat Chimaev has revealed that his biggest source of income is not his UFC middleweight championship but the sponsorship deals he has secured outside of the octagon.
Speaking on Beyond The Win ahead of his title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark, Chimaev opened up about his financial situation and pushed back against critics who take aim at his fight frequency.
Chimaev dethroned Dricus Du Plessis to claim the middleweight title at UFC 319 in Chicago last year. Since becoming champion, he has faced criticism for his inactivity, a pattern that stretches back to earlier in his career when a battle with coronavirus disrupted what had been a relentless pace of competition. He addressed those critics directly during the interview, showing little concern for outside opinions.
"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," Chimaev said. "I care about myself, how much I make, how much I get."
When the conversation turned to his UFC compensation, Chimaev expressed satisfaction with where his career has taken him while making clear that the promotion's payouts are not where his primary earnings come from.
"Of course, I've been living in the gym and now I am living my dream," he said. "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."
