Top UFC Contender Calls Out Khamzat Chimaev for Being Boring: “You want Bangers.”
Khamzat Chimaev is a boring athlete according to a top-ranked UFC middleweight contender. UFC middleweight athlete ‘Fluffy’ Anthony Hernandez has made his preferences clear regarding potential opponents for a title shot, describing a potential matchup with current champion Khamzat Chimaev as boring while expressing enthusiasm for facing former champion Dricus Du Plessis.
UFC Contender ‘Fluffy’ Anthony Hernandez Criticizes Khamzat Chimaev’s Style
Hernandez, who holds the fourth ranking in the UFC middleweight division as of October 2025, voiced his opinions about the contrasting fighting styles of the two elite middleweights. The California native currently rides an eight-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming via fourth-round submission against Roman Dolidze at UFC Vegas 109 in August 2025. His impressive run includes bonus-winning finishes over Roman Kopylov, Michel Pereira, and Dolidze, alongside a decision victory over Brendan Allen.
Speaking about his future opponents, Hernandez delivered a candid assessment of what fans want to see at the highest level of competition. In an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:
“I really don’t give a shit who I fight, man. Like, I know they make styles and it makes it exciting, but I really like truly don’t give a f*ck who I fight. I think fighting Chimaev would be like a lot more like wrestling defense and boring, but, like Dricus would be a fun fight because he’s a striker. He comes, he bangs. Like that’s exciting to me. That’s what people want to see, you know what I mean? And I feel like when you’re fighting for the title and when you’re right there, you want to do legendary sh*t, you know? I mean, you want bangers. You don’t want to like play some boring ass shi*.”
The comments come after Chimaev captured the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 319 in Chicago on August 16, 2025, defeating Du Plessis via unanimous decision. The Chechen-Swedish wrestler completely dominated the former champion through overwhelming grappling pressure, securing 12 takedowns out of 17 attempts and maintaining control for nearly 22 minutes across five rounds. All three judges scored the bout 50-44 in Chimaev’s favor, though the performance drew mixed reactions from fans and fighters alike.
His preference for facing Du Plessis stems from the South African’s unorthodox striking-based approach. Du Plessis built his championship reign on forward pressure and volume striking. Former opponents Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya have both described Du Plessis’s style as awkward and unpredictable, with Adesanya calling him “the best shit fighter in the world” due to his ability to disrupt opponents’ momentum despite lacking textbook technique.
Chimaev’s wrestling-centric approach contrasts sharply with Du Plessis’s striking preference. The champion utilizes his freestyle wrestling background to take opponents to the ground, where he employs techniques similar to Khabib Nurmagomedov. His grappling dominance was on full display against Du Plessis, who struggled with explosive movements that proved ineffective against elite-level wrestling.
Hernandez’s path to a title shot hit a significant setback in September 2025 when he withdrew from a scheduled main event bout against Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver on October 18 due to an undisclosed injury. The matchup was considered a potential title eliminator, with the winner positioned to challenge Chimaev. Brendan Allen replaced Hernandez and defeated de Ridder when the Dutchman was unable to continue after four rounds.
The middleweight title picture remains crowded heading into late 2025. Nassourdine Imavov earned a unanimous decision victory over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris in September and has declared himself next in line for a title shot. Meanwhile, Chimaev expressed interest in defending his title at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025, though that event ultimately featured Tom Aspinall versus Ciryl Gane in the main event.
The contender emphasized that his willingness to fight anyone in the division remains unchanged, regardless of style matchups. With his injury recovery underway and his eight-fight winning streak intact, ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez continues positioning himself for an eventual championship opportunity while making clear his preference for exciting battles over grinding wrestling contests.
