“Khamzat could win at any weight. I'd like to see him at light heavyweight”

– via Red Corner MMA (January 2026), sharing his high praise for the newly crowned middleweight champion after their viral wrestling session in Chechnya.

“I think Islam is one of the greatest fighters of all time. I’m not surprised that he’s dominating the competition. He’s a special athlete. Some guys are chosen to do great things, and I think he’s one of those guys”

– via Red Corner MMA (January 8, 2026), offering high praise for the pound—for—pound king following Makhachev’s historic double—champion victory

“Khamzat is a real ni*** fosho”

– praised Khamzat Chimaev on his visit to Chechnya

“Yeah, that takedown was legit, young man is in tremendous shape. And there was only so much I could do on that concrete. What a great host, I’ll never forget my time in Chechnya”

– confirming the legitimacy of Khamzat Chimaev's impromptu takedown during their street grappling session in Russia

“Mark my words, @gable will be the most elite heavyweight fighter on the planet within the next 12 months”

– praised Gable Stevenson after his impressive win over Billy Swanson

“He’s everything that I have ever wanted in an athlete. He’s 25 years old. He comes from a wrestling background. He’s an Olympic gold medalist. He has the perfect work ethic, and he’s drug free.”

– praising Gable Stevenson via Dirty Boxing 4

“It's not a matter of if he can, it's a matter of when. I've had many great teammates over the years, but I've always said if I would ever be a coach it would have to be a Wrestler who was completely committed to success. I found my guy and I'm excited to add world championship coach to my resume.”