Breakout UFC star Khamzat Chimaev says he travelled to Ireland to find Conor McGregor and "beat him up" for comments made about Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Chimaev, who scored two big wins in 10 days on 'Fight Island', hunted down McGregor before being stopped by police and detained in a cell.
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"At that time, I was fighting as an amateur or a pro record of 1-0 when that happened," the 26-year-old welterweight said in Russian, as translated by Adam Zubayraev.
"It is that time when he insulted Khabib, and he also was talking about Zubaira (Tukhugov). At that time, nobody knew who I was. He was also talking about another guy who's also Chechen.
"I don't remember his name, but he told us he knocked him out in a sparring session. My mind was blowing up at the moment, but I'm living here very close to him. I was thinking that I would catch him in the streets or at the gym and beat him up. This is what he deserved."
The 8-0 fighter was stopped in the airport then allowed to continue on his way.
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However, he was stopped again but this time he was jailed and shipped back to Sweden even though he had the correct travel documentations.
He added: "Yes, I landed in Ireland and waited in an airport. First, they stopped me a while, and then slightly they told me to go. Then I was going out. When I was going out from the airport, they stopped me again.
"That time, there were guys literally in uniform... Yes, there were (special forces), and they told me, 'You cannot go anywhere.'
"But I didn't get what they meant. At that time, my English was very bad. Even right now, it's not that good... They drove me to the police station and kept me for eight hours.
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"No, there wasn't any interrogation at all. I was just kept in a cell. I waited for maybe eight or nine hours. I was doing push-ups and squats. They didn't even bring me food. Then after a while, they told me, 'You have to go back to Sweden.'
"They continued, 'We'll bring you back to the airport where the plane is waiting for you.' They brought me back to airport and sent me back home."
The Swede wanted to hurt McGregor and came up with a plan to inflict damage on him by pretending he was going to Ireland to help 'The Notorious' prepare for UFC 229.
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"Honestly speaking, I wanted to beat him up," he said.
"Many people thought I was coming there to help him to prepare for Khabib... Not only for Khabib. I was coming there to protect our pride and honor. I was going there for all of us. If that would not have happened, I would have maybe thrown, I don't know, some object... I think I was able to stand for myself."
Chimaev made a victorious UFC debut against John Phillips earlier this month before beating Rhys McKee 10 days later.
Topics: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor Mcgregor, UFC News, Khamzat Chimaev, Fight News, UFC
