Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t pay much mind to those who say he is too inactive to be UFC Middleweight Champion. 

Chimaev will defend the title he won in August last year for the first time against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, having fought on just one occasion in 2025, 2024, and 2023 respectively. He fought twice in 2022 but also just the once in 2021, making for seven fights in six years including his upcoming bout.

But speaking on that criticism during “Beyond The Win” he said that he doesn’t pay attention to any criticism. 

“I don’t care,” he said. “I make millions – a lot of people just talking and doing nothing. So I don’t have time to speak about somebody. Like if you do your work, I don’t need to go and watch you work, what you do, how often you work, how much you get. I care about myself, how much I make, how much I fight.”

Pressed on how much he makes with UFC, he played coy and said it was a secret. But he added, “I’ve been living in the gym, now I’m living the dream.” 

But the “millions” he makes comes more from outside-of-UFC projects, he said. “I make more money out of UFC because who I became, Khamzat Chimaev, wherever I go, people they want to sponsor. They want to do different things with me.” 

Chimaev is 15-0 since making his professional MMA debut in 2018, and in 2020 made three Performance of the Night winning performances for three fights in his debut year in UFC. His UFC record sits at 9-0 since then.