Khamzat Chimaev says Chris Weidman is 'dreaming about me every night' before RAF Abu Dhabi

Weidman hit back that he is 'definitely the toughest opponent' Chimaev has faced, after saying he was not sure how good Chimaev is at 'real wrestling'.

Khamzat Chimaev says Chris Weidman is "dreaming about me every night" ahead of their Real American Freestyle main event in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Asked at the RAF Abu Dhabi press conference on Thursday whether Weidman is the toughest opponent he will face, Chimaev said: "No, I don't think so. He's dreaming about me every night since he signed, you know..."

Weidman hit back: "I am definitely the toughest opponent he's gone against, especially within wrestling and jiu-jitsu... You have to agree with that. Or you don't know me yet, you'll find out Saturday." He added: "No disrespect to Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler, but yeah, we'll see."

The same question had been put to Weidman first, and he said he did not know how good Chimaev is as a wrestler. "I don't know how great Chimaev is at real wrestling... We know he's great at MMA wrestling," Weidman said. "I am not sure how high level he is as a real wrestler, and so I can't really answer that question. That's what we're going to be able to find out on Saturday."

Chimaev is unbeaten in RAF and beat Lawler by tech fall, 11-0, at RAF 14 in Las Vegas on 23 October. Weidman replaced the injured Colby Covington and said at the press conference that it was "not ideal" to get six days' notice. At the same press conference, Chimaev said Covington pulled out because "he's scared".

They wrestle at the Etihad Arena on Saturday 14 November, and the card starts at 4pm UK and Irish time.

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