Aug 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, UNITED STATES; Khamzat Chimaev during weigh ins for UFC 319 at Radius Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Khamzat Chimaev Reveals The Truth Behind His Confrontation With Ian Garry At UFC Qatar

Aug 15, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, UNITED STATES; Khamzat Chimaev during weigh ins for UFC 319 at Radius Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Backstage altercations at UFC events always generate massive buzz on social media. Fighters crossing paths in hallways creates potential for drama constantly. Emotions run high after watching teammates compete inside the cage. Sometimes seemingly friendly gestures get misinterpreted when adrenaline is flowing everywhere. Khamzat Chimaev found himself in that situation after UFC Qatar.

UFC Qatar delivered plenty of action inside the octagon Saturday night. But the biggest talking point happened behind the scenes entirely. Chimaev and Ian Garry got into a heated confrontation. Security had to separate both fighters before things escalated further. Video footage spread across social media within minutes of the incident. Now, Chimaev revealed the truth behind his confrontation during the post-fight press conference.

What Actually Happened?

The incident occurred after Arman Tsarukyan submitted Dan Hooker in the main event. Chimaev was celebrating his friend and training partner’s victory backstage. Ian Garry approached to congratulate everyone on the win seemingly. He patted Chimaev on the back while acknowledging Tsarukyan’s performance.

But ‘Borz’ took serious offense to how Garry touched him. The Chechen-born fighter felt disrespected by the manner of contact. He immediately shoved the Irishman backward in response to it. UFC security rushed in to separate both fighters before fists flew. The situation could have escalated into a full brawl quickly.

Garry has this oddly annoying aura about him where he always seems like he’s trying to talk down to people

“He’s not gonna do anything, relax” literally something you should NEVER say to Khamzat

Idk why ppl surprised at Chimaev reaction#UFCQatar
pic.twitter.com/51cndHGCl9
— Kenny Okoye🇳🇬 (@TruthfulUfcFan) November 22, 2025

Garry seemed genuinely confused about what triggered such an aggressive reaction. From his perspective, he was simply being friendly and congratulatory. But Chimaev interpreted the back pat as disrespectful and provocative intentionally.

Khamzat Chimaev Gives An Explanation

The middleweight champion addressed the incident during his post-fight presser appearance. He explained exactly what bothered him about Garry’s approach and gesture.

“If you touch somebody, touch respectfully. Don’t punch somebody [from] the behind, you know. If you want to show respect, respectfully touch somebody… He came there to make some hype for him. That guy trying to be Conor [McGregor] but never gonna be Conor. He’s a sh*t fighter, he fought sh*t.”

Khamzat Chimaev clowned Ian Garry after shoving him backstage 😂

“He came there to make some hype for him. That guy trying to be Conor but never gonna be Conor. He’s a sh*t fighter, he fought sh*t.”

(via @RedCorner_MMA) pic.twitter.com/LHsYYSrjMS
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) November 22, 2025

‘Borz’ felt Garry was tapping his back aggressively rather than respectfully backstage at UFC Qatar. As per the video, it seems Garry was patting him hard on the back. The distinction might seem minor to outsiders watching the footage. But context and intention matter enormously in these testosterone-filled environments obviously.

(Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski – Imagn Images)

Ian Garry

Khamzat Chimaev

UFC Qatar

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!