Khamzat Chimaev has made it clear that he holds "no respect anymore" for Alex Pereira, and he’s not shy about expressing his disdain as he patiently waits for his next fight.
Currently, both fighters are champions in the UFC who find themselves without an upcoming battle on the horizon. Chimaev is eagerly anticipating his first title defense after seizing the middleweight championship at UFC 319 back in August, while Pereira is toying with the idea of moving up to heavyweight after reclaiming the light heavyweight title at UFC 320 in October. It’s widely acknowledged that these two athletes do not see eye to eye, but it’s Chimaev who has been more vocal in pushing for a showdown at 205 pounds.
This rivalry intensified recently when Chimaev took to social media to provoke Pereira and his coaching team. He started by drawing a comparison between his flawless record and Pereira's history, which includes losses to fighters like Magomed Ankalaev and Israel Adesanya. However, those defeats are part of Pereira’s remarkable journey, as he famously defeated Adesanya in their first MMA encounter to claim his inaugural UFC title and scored a rapid knockout against Ankalaev in just 80 seconds during their lightweight championship rematch.
Chimaev boasts an impressive professional record of 15 wins without a loss, and he remains undefeated in the UFC with 9 victories. His streak was recently highlighted by a dominant decision win over Dricus du Plessis, the reigning middleweight champion.
In his tweets, Chimaev didn’t hold back—he not only mocked Pereira but also took aim at Pereira’s close ally and mentor, Glover Teixeira, by sharing a picture of Teixeira being submitted by Jiri Prochazka. This was clearly intended to add fuel to the fire of their ongoing feud.
When a fan praised Pereira's accomplishments, Chimaev responded assertively, implying that he, too, could become a dual-division champion if Pereira would simply stop evading a fight.
Both Pereira and Chimaev have expressed interest in competing at the upcoming UFC White House event scheduled for June. Until official matchups are announced for this landmark occasion, it seems that the animosity between the two fighters will continue to simmer.
