Khamzat Chimaev Hilariously Dismisses ‘Deep Waters’ Talk Ahead of Colby Covington RAF Match
Khamzat Chimaev has hilariously brushed off talk of being dragged into deep waters ahead of his RAF matchup with Colby Covington, showing little concern about the challenge.
Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev are set to face each other in a freestyle wrestling match at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14, 2026. The two will reportedly compete for the Cruiserweight Crossover Championship at Etihad Arena. The matchup comes after years of trash talk between the two UFC stars. The Chechen fighter recently warned 'Chaos' that he would need an ambulance after their match, adding more tension to the showdown.
Khamzat Chimaev Hilariously Trolls Colby Covington Over 'Deep Waters' Claims
Covington has previously claimed that Chimaev
will struggle against him and that he will take "Borz" into deep waters. The former middleweight champion jokingly dismissed the idea of going into deep waters against the American fighter at RAF Abu Dhabi.
“Deep waters? I will be on the mats, brother. There is no water. Maybe you're going to sweat a lot there, so take some water with you,” the 32-year-old said during RAF’s Press conference.
In MMA and wrestling, deep waters refers to exhausting an opponent by dominating the match. Meanwhile, even though he is active in RAF, Chimaev is also waiting for his rematch with Sean Strickland, as he wants to reclaim his middleweight title soon.
Khamzat Chimaev Accuses Sean Strickland Of Ducking Fights
To remind everyone, the Chechen fighter has lost his title against Strickland at UFC 329 which was the biggest upset of this year. Since then, Chimaev wants his title shot. Meanwhile, he has accused the middleweight champ Strickland of avoiding fights and refusing to defend his UFC title. He claims Strickland has turned down fights against both him and Nassourdine Imavov.
During his appearance at RAF, the 32-year-old said, "UFC thought he would stay active, and this shitty guy keeps running away from fights. He won't accept the fight against Imavov, he won't accept me."
He says he is ready to fight anyone and hopes the UFC can arrange something soon. Meanwhile, the middleweight champion recently revealed that he is dealing with a knee injury and also criticized the UFC pay structure, accusing the promotion of not giving him a good payday even as champion.
