Umar Nurmagomedov (20-2) was the heavy favorite going into his pivotal matchup This song. Nurmagomedov fired in a takedown as Song overheated the post to put his Dagestan counterpart to sleep. Chimayev, who has a grappling-heavy approach, isn’t deterred by the threat of a knockout when shooting for a takedown.
Chimaev explains why Nurmagomedov’s loss to Yadong Song doesn’t change his approach
Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship The title holder was recently asked if he plans to be more cautious going forward given how Nurmagomedov lost.
“Borz” believes that Nurmagomedov will bounce back stronger. About himself, Chimaev says that he sticks to his bread and butter: wrestling. He notes that in a sport like MMA, a missed shot can put someone to sleep and sees no point in changing his style for fear of getting knocked out.
“Unfortunately, Umar lost, but I believe he will come back stronger,” Chimaev told Red Corner MMA. “He’s a guy with a lot of experience who’s been doing his thing since he was a kid. But as far as me, a knockdown or a KO, I can’t foresee that. I’m going to keep doing my job. I’m in the gym doing takedowns every day, why can’t I do the same in the Octagon? Anything can happen in our sport.”
Khamzat Chimaev believes Umar Nurmagomedov returns stronger after his recent loss to Song Yadong, saying the Dagestan fighter has a lot of experience and has been competing since he was a kid.
“Unfortunately Umar lost, but I believe he will come back stronger. He is… pic.twitter.com/PVY2TLzQD0
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
September 7, 2026