Khamzat Chimaev: "Before, I Was Crazy…" | UFC, Health, Money & Fatherhood | EYE AM

The podcast features a conversation with UFC middleweight fighter Khamzat Chimaev, exploring his journey from Chechnya to becoming a prominent figure in the UFC. Chimaev discusses his challenging upbringing during wartime, his move to Sweden, and how these experiences shaped his determination to succeed. He emphasizes the duality of his persona—being fierce in the cage but compassionate in real life. Chimaev shares insights on balancing fame, family, and his aspirations, highlighting his desire to help others and his dedication to his family's well-being. His focus remains on becoming a UFC champion while maintaining his values and connections.

• Kamat Chimayev grew up in Chechnya until he was 19, after which he moved to Sweden due to the difficult conditions in his home country.
• His childhood was marked by the war in Chechnya, which greatly influenced his outlook on life and fighting.

"I'm come from Ches originally. I'm grow up in my country till 19, so after 19, I moved to Sweden. That was tough time, hard time on my country was the war when I grow up."

• The war and its aftermath created a challenging environment for Chimayev and his family, shaping his resilience and fighting spirit.

"My life wasn't like true good, you know, so had tough time with with my mom, my family, my dad and went through many things."

• His upbringing taught him to be strong and resilient, with his family playing a significant role in instilling these values.

"Not only me had a tough time, my big brother and my father as well, so they teach me like I am today."

• Chimayev is perceived as a formidable fighter in the UFC, known for his aggressive style in the cage.
• Despite his intimidating presence in the ring, Chimayev describes himself as a different person outside of it, emphasizing the duality of his nature.

"In real life, I'm not that kind of guy beating everyone, you know. This is my job, this is my goal, you know, to get the belt and to be the best guy."

• His desire to be the best stems from a deep-seated aversion to losing, which he attributes to his life experiences.

"I always had that something inside of me. Never want to lose, you know, so I can't take lose."

• Chimayev compares the fighting world to a natural selection environment, where only the strongest survive.

"When you fighting in the cage, it's like like I'm in animal world, you know. If you don't want to be the leader of the pride of the Lions, you know, you could be a strongest one."

• Chimayev discusses the mental switch he activates when training and fighting, likening it to entering a war zone.

"I'm in the gym always switch up and know, so because in the gym you have to work hard and after the gym in real life you has to be good man."

• He emphasizes the importance of separating his fighting persona from his everyday life to maintain balance.

"I'm two different people in the cage and there has to fight beat somebody up, you know, so and show the toughness."

• Chimayev views money as a tool to help others, particularly his family and community, rather than a personal goal.

"For me, if it was for me only, I already made money for all my life, you know. But I has a sisters, I has a Brothers, has a mother, father and my cousins all my Village."

• He has invested in building a gym in his village, aiming to provide opportunities for children and support for his community.

"I built a gym there... trying to do like a wrestling sport school, you know, for the kids."

• Fame has brought significant changes to his life, both positive and challenging, as he navigates public attention and requests for help.

"In the beginning was the fun and I was happy, you know, it was crazy some people take a picture... but now right now like every day I wake up I feel me normal people go out just somebody comes to you."

• He relies on his brother to help manage requests for assistance, ensuring that help is given to those truly in need.

"My brother, my big brother always helping me with that if somebody needs the help if he says the true we help him."

• The speaker experiences frequent distractions from repeated questions, which can be overwhelming.
• They rely on their team to manage interactions and maintain focus on training.

"Just one day you get like the same question like 10 times, 20 times, 12 times, you know."

• Highlights the repetitive nature of public interactions and the resulting frustration.

"That's why the people around me, they check if somebody doing too much and they say please brother, come down and let him be."

• Emphasizes the importance of having a supportive team to manage public interactions and maintain focus.

• Religion is central to the speaker's life and family, providing guidance and purpose.
• The speaker emphasizes being a good human and Muslim as foundational principles.

"Religion means for me, for my family, is everything because whatever happens in the world has to go back to God."

• Illustrates the deep significance of religion in providing a moral and existential framework.

"You have to be a good human first and a good Muslim as well."

• Highlights the dual focus on personal integrity and religious adherence.

• The speaker encounters a diverse range of beliefs in UFC, learning to appreciate the good in everyone.
• They maintain respect for others' beliefs while holding firm to their own values.

"Being famous, you know, and facing guys who are not Muslim, not Christian, not—they believe in nothing, you know."

• Reflects the diversity of beliefs encountered in the UFC environment.

"Doesn't matter which religion he is, that he's a good guy, and you're going to be a good human for his family anyway."

• Emphasizes the universal potential for goodness irrespective of religious beliefs.

• Loyalty is the primary criterion for friendship, with honesty valued over appeasement.
• The speaker surrounds themselves with trustworthy individuals.

"The first thing I like from the people is loyalty, you know, not lie for me."

• Loyalty and honesty are prioritized over superficial harmony in relationships.

"Don't try to make me happy with the lie."

• Stresses the importance of truthfulness even if it causes discomfort.

• Business is a means to ensure stability beyond a fighting career.
• The speaker is involved in real estate and relies on family for business management.

"Business is just to stay stable in my life and not always going to be just fighting."

• Business is viewed as a long-term strategy for financial stability.

"We buy like apartments and sell them back."

• Indicates involvement in real estate as a business venture for financial growth.

• The speaker's mother is a significant source of motivation and inspiration.
• Despite her reservations about fighting, she has been a strong support system.

"My mom really shy people, you know, she don't tell so much, you know, about it."

• Reflects the mother's reserved nature and her subtle influence.

"She did so much, and she been like tough person."

• Highlights the mother's resilience and pivotal role in the family's success.

• Watching Conor McGregor inspired the speaker to pursue a UFC career.
• McGregor's success was a motivating factor due to its transformative potential.

"I see the fight and I see how much he made, you know, so money was a big driving force for me."

• Financial success and transformation inspired by McGregor's career trajectory.

"That was motivation for me that time."

• The speaker's decision to pursue UFC was driven by the potential for change and success.

• The speaker had a memorable visit to India, noting the stark contrasts in living conditions.
• They express interest in returning to India due to the positive experience.

"People were really nice people, you know, in Hyderabad."

• Positive impression of the hospitality and kindness of Indian people.

"It was like two different sides of life. I thought like some rich people, some really poor."

• Observations on the socioeconomic disparities encountered during the visit.

• The speaker has a positive relationship with Dana White and the UFC, highlighting their support during personal challenges.
• Dana White is described as generous and supportive, particularly in helping the speaker during a period of illness.
• The speaker's perception of Dana White changed after meeting him, finding him to be more generous and personable than expected.

"It's good, always been a good relationship with the UFC, never had any problems. They helped me a lot as well, you know, so when I was sick they took me to Vegas and helped me with the doctors."

• The speaker emphasizes the supportive nature of the UFC during times of personal difficulty.

"I met him in real life and when I see him, went to dinner, and like he, when we finished the dinner, he was just giving to the guys who's working there like $500."

• Dana White's generosity is highlighted through his actions of tipping staff generously, which changed the speaker's perception of him.

• The speaker discusses their training regimen, including training in Russian mountains and working with various coaches.
• Emphasis is placed on hard work and adapting training strategies to prepare for different opponents.
• The speaker incorporates both old and new coaches to enhance their training for upcoming fights.

"Preparing like always with hard work, you know, so now has different coaches around me like, you know, in Russian mountains we did training there."

• The speaker's training involves rigorous preparation in different environments to optimize performance.

"I bring my old wrestling coach as well, he been my coaches and one of my coach and then the guy who has fight is Striker is not secret they're going to take the guy and smash him."

• The speaker combines experience with fresh strategies by involving both old and new coaches to prepare for opponents effectively.

• The speaker uses past challenges and setbacks, such as illness, as motivation to improve and succeed.
• They express a desire to achieve what others haven't by moving between weight classes.
• Personal setbacks, like illness, have been used as fuel for motivation and hunger for success.

"When I get sick, when all the things hard things happen with me, it makes me motivated, makes me hungry, you know."

• The speaker channels adversity into motivation, using it as a driving force for their career.

"Just want to do the things nobody does before, so that's why I'm saying that."

• The speaker's ambition to break new ground in their career by attempting feats not accomplished by others.

• Despite a long break from fighting, the speaker maintains their fanbase by focusing on personal health and eventual victories.
• They acknowledge the importance of personal life and health, which sometimes necessitates stepping away from fighting.

"What I can do but I can't give the things they want, you know, because I have my own life, have to take care of my life as well."

• The speaker prioritizes personal health and life over immediate fan expectations, which has helped sustain their fanbase.

"When you're sick you don't need to fight, you have to wait until you're good and start again."

• Emphasizes the importance of health and recovery over rushing back into competition.

• The speaker describes their celebration process, focusing on the journey and preparation rather than the victory itself.
• After fights, the speaker quickly shifts focus back to family and personal life.
• Emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment while also planning for future challenges.

"That makes me happy like a couple of seconds after the fight, you know, you win then you're like what next."

• The speaker enjoys the brief moment of victory before refocusing on future goals and challenges.

"Just go back to my family. Yeah, just go back to a family."

• After a fight, the speaker prioritizes returning to family, highlighting the importance of personal connections.

• The speaker discusses their cultural background and how it influences their interactions and expressions of pride.
• They express a strong connection to their home village and the support from friends and family.
• Cultural norms influence how pride and success are communicated within the speaker's community.

"I think they're proud of me, you know, so they're proud. We don't have like that things we say like to the people if it's something we say you did good you did right."

• Cultural differences in expressing pride are highlighted, with actions speaking louder than words in the speaker's community.

"Of course, I like being in my home country, my friends who been with me when I was young and in my village."

• The speaker values the connection to their home and the people who have supported them throughout their journey.

• The speaker expresses interest in moving to a higher weight class to achieve unique accomplishments.
• They admire UFC fighters like Jon Jones and contemplate future challenges in their career.
• The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of aging and the potential for defeat, but remains focused on their goals.

"Just want to do the things nobody does before, so that's why I'm saying that."

• The speaker's ambition to achieve unprecedented accomplishments in their career.

"I hope he's finished after the fight, you know, he's being a legend nobody could beat him."

• Reflects on the legacy of fighters like Jon Jones and the challenges they present.

• Fatherhood has significantly changed the speaker's perspective and decision-making process.
• The speaker now considers the long-term implications of his actions, especially how they will affect his son.
• Emphasis on raising his son to be a good man and human being, rather than following in his footsteps as a fighter.

"There are many things changed in my life when I got the kid. Before it was crazy; I was just doing things and realized I did wrong. Now, before I do anything, I think about how my son will see me, what kind of man my father is."

• The speaker reflects on how becoming a parent has instilled a sense of responsibility and foresight, contrasting his past impulsive behavior.

• The speaker expresses a desire to be a formidable fighter in the cage, aligning with the symbolism of the wolf.
• He is open to fighting any opponent if it offers significant financial and life-changing opportunities.
• The speaker is interested in facing famous fighters to test his skills and enhance his reputation.

"I don't know, maybe I would like to face myself, where I can be in break, you know, where I've never been in that position."

• The speaker is intrigued by the idea of self-confrontation, viewing it as a measure of his toughness and personal growth.

• The speaker's nickname, "BS," meaning wolf, is a traditional symbol in his country, representing strength and resilience.
• The wolf is admired for its solitary strength and ability to take on larger challenges, qualities the speaker identifies with.

"Wolf is a traditional thing for my country. It's a symbol, and all young guys like if they call them BS, like tough man. I like the animal and how he's doing his life as well."

• The wolf symbolizes the speaker's fighting style and personal ethos, emphasizing bravery and independence.

• The speaker's fighting style is characterized by a mix of wrestling and striking, with a preference for submission techniques.
• He enjoys the emotional and entertaining aspects of fighting, often engaging in playful behavior in the cage.

"It's not a secret; I've been finishing many guys with that choke. I call it the K choke. People call it different names."

• The speaker's favorite submission move highlights his technical proficiency and strategic approach in fights.

• The speaker aspires to become a champion within five years and is open to facing top fighters in the UFC.
• He expresses interest in fighting high-profile opponents like Israel Adesanya and others, viewing these matches as opportunities to prove his skills.

"Of course, I want to face the champion as well and take my belt."

• The speaker's ambition to fight champions underscores his commitment to reaching the pinnacle of his sport.

• The speaker views fighting as a metaphor for personal challenges and growth, emphasizing the inner battle between one's good and bad traits.
• He acknowledges the inevitability of change and the importance of enjoying the present moment.

"You're not going to die if your time comes, your time comes. Have fun right now. That's why I have fun in the cage."

• The speaker's philosophy of living in the moment and embracing challenges reflects his approach to both life and fighting.