Ian Machado Garry and Khamzat Chimaev explain UFC Qatar incident backstage

Ian Machado Garry and Khamzat Chimaev have spoken out on their backstage spat at UFC Qatar.

Garry competed on the card this past Saturday, defeating Belal Muhammad. Meanwhile, Chimaev was in attendance in support of Arman Tsrukyan, who submitted Dan Hooker.

Initially, it appeared Garry and Chimaev were having a normal conversation before UFC security intervened. Garry said that the two wouldn’t get physical before Chimaev shoved him. Garry told Chimaev he was acting childish before the two were separated.

https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1992340314691113082

During the UFC Qatar post-fight press conference, Garry shared his side of the story (h/t MMAJunkie).

“I went up to Tsarukyan, I congratulated him,” Garry said. “I went up to Khamzat, I said, ‘Hey champ, what’s up? When are we gonna see you back?’ He goes, ‘I don’t know, brother. Whenever. Smash.’ I was like, ‘Alright, cool. Sweet.’ Slaps me on the back, I’m like, alright, cool. Security guy gets in front of us. We literally were just cool with each other, he’s not gonna fight me – and then that childish energy comes out.

“‘Ahh, f*ck you brother, f*ck you.’ Boom. Tries to push me. I just turn around and went, ‘You’re meant to be a champion of this sport. You’re a child.’ You’re taking away from your friend’s win over here. How about you calm down, slow down, and have a bit of respect for your friend over here instead of steal the headlines. Do you want the honest truth? It’s little d*ck energy. You’re the champion of the world. No one needs to see you be tough. You don’t need to have these anger management issues. Just be a man. Sorry. I’ll get him one day.”

Red Corner MMA clipped a moment from Tsarukyan’s media scrum, which saw Chimaev respond to his incident with Garry.

“Don’t punch somebody from behind, you know?” Chimaev said. “He punched, like slapping my back. If you want to show respect, respectfully touch somebody. That’s what I tell him, touch somebody respectful. But he came like that to make some hype. Like, you know that guy, trying to be Conor (McGregor). He never gonna be Conor. He’s a sh*t fighter.”

Chimaev is the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion, while Garry is hoping to have sealed a welterweight title opportunity. While it’s unlikely that the two will settle their difference inside the Octagon anytime soon, there is certainly bad blood brewing.