Khamzat Chimaev laughs off Jon Jones wrestling “win” and explains street altercation

Khamzat Chimaev has explained that his street grappling match with Jon Jones that went viral was simply the pair fooling around.

Much was manufactured from the middleweight champion ‘winning’ the exchange, and partners who were there for the video claimed that Jones had agreed to a ‘rematch’. Nevertheless, Chimaev insists that they were joking, and it was an ultimately respectful meeting.

Jones is currently pushing to get a fight on the UFC White House event next summer, while Chimaev is nursing an injury and hopes to return a while before that event. And while their altercation wasn’t real, there was a really real issue between the champion and Ian Machado Garry at UFC Qatar.

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Khamzat Chimaev opens up about what happened with Jon Jones

Two weeks ago, a video appeared online showing Jon Jones and Khamzat Chimaev in a parking zone engaging in what seemed to be something of a grappling match. This isn’t unlike the two-weight champion, who has fought fellow UFC stars at the back of restaurants before.

Nevertheless, what made the footage so fascinating was that Chimaev, who last tipped the scales at 185lb, managed to really get down Jones, whose last fight weight was over 237lb. The video went in all places, but perhaps wasn’t as serious as has been made out.

“Individuals are posting this wrestling s—,” Chimaev told ESPN MMA. “I’m all the time respectful to my guests, it wasn’t me that was attempting to take him down, he began first. Then it slowly becomes wrestling and it was funny.

“But it surely wasn’t real wrestling. Individuals are saying I took him down, he liked it. He was there shooting something and having an excellent time.”

Jon Jones reportedly wanted a rematch after Khamzat Chimaev grappling exchange

In response to Rizvan Edilsultanov, an amateur photographer who was on the scene, Chimaev got the higher of Jones, which might be seen within the footage shared to social media. The American then comically ran away, shouting “no,” repeatedly and asking the people in attendance to not take video.

“Khamzat Chimaev and Jon Jones tested one another’s skills,” a loose translation of his post read. “Chimaev barely surpassed [Jones]. Jones couldn’t settle with ‘defeat’, he began to shout at the entire terrible ‘no, no’.

“But then Alfredo Auditore entered the case, offering for a fight (who can say how much?) to which Jones immediately replied with agreement. Well, what are we waiting for this confrontation?”