Daniel Cormier Claims Khamzat Chimaev Paying Sparring Partners

Former champion Daniel Cormier says UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is training so hard that he has offered money to sparring partners who can submit him. Cormier discussed the claim on his YouTube channel and weighed in on the upcoming title fight with Sean Strickland.

Cormier on Chimaev’s intense training

Daniel Cormier told UFC Coverage that he has heard reports from inside Khamzat Chimaev’s camp about extreme training methods. Cormier said Chimaev is asking elite partners to push him harder than usual and even putting up cash rewards if someone can submit him in sparring.

“I have heard Khamzat Chimaev wants people to go so hard with him to try to beat him and submit him, he’s paying them,” Cormier said. He compared the idea to past bounty stories in sport, but noted this time the champion is offering the bounty himself to make sparring partners give their best.

Bounty claim and what it means

Cormier said the reports suggest Chimaev is trying to create very real pressure in camp so he will be ready for a tough title defense. Cormier added that quitting in training does not seem like something Chimaev would do. “If I know Khamzat Chimaev—and I’ve met him and I know him pretty good—quitting does not seem like something Khamzat would do,” he said.

Those close to both camps will likely watch Chimaev’s preparations closely as he gets ready for his first title defense.

Strickland matchup and past training sessions

Khamzat Chimaev’s first defense will be against Sean Strickland. The two have a past training relationship that has produced different stories about who had the upper hand. Strickland has said he humbled Chimaev in past sessions, while Chimaev has offered a different account. Cormier said both fighters claim to have come out on top and that people who were in the gym saw one of them getting the better of the other.

“Somebody knows what happened in those training sessions,” Cormier said. He added that neither fighter is showing signs of backing down ahead of the matchup.

Also see: Ricky Turcios Submitted by Alberto Montes in UFC 326 Featherweight Bout

Context and recent form

The report did not include a fight date, location or event name for the Chimaev vs. Strickland title fight. It did note Strickland’s recent win over Anthony Hernandez, when Strickland stopped Hernandez with a knee.

Cormier’s comments add fuel to the build-up for the title fight. Fans will be watching training reports closely to see whether Chimaev’s camp is as intense as Cormier describes and how that preparation affects the championship bout.