Khamzat Chimaev has never been one to shy away from bold statements, and his latest comments are no exception. With a UFC middleweight title shot against Sean Strickland looming at UFC 328 on May 9th in Newark, New Jersey, the undefeated phenom is already looking past the fight—straight into a potential boxing showdown with none other than Conor McGregor.

During a relaxed media scrum at the Jaxxon Podcast warehouse, Chimaev opened up about what truly drives him these days. Spoiler alert: it's not the championship gold. "How can you not love the millions?" Chimaev asked with a calm smile. "If you're human, you should love the money." For the Chechen-born star, fame and prestige take a backseat to a padded bank account—and that means chasing the biggest payday possible.

Enter Conor McGregor. When asked if any fight could truly get his blood pumping, Chimaev didn't hesitate. "Probably would be Zuffa Boxing with Conor," he said. "We just box. I'm not gonna move over to the boxing. I will forever be a UFC fighter. But maybe if Zuffa gives a chance, box with Conor. If Conor wants to accept that, it would be nice."

Chimaev's confidence in making this crossover happen is palpable. When pressed on whether the UFC and parent company TKO would greenlight such a move, he simply grinned. "Why not?" he said, adding, "We're going to work on the boxing. Right now we're working on MMA. But we're going to go for the boxing match. Gonna work just on that. Working. All the time. Every day. Boxing. MMA."

And the motivation? It's all about the Benjamin's. "Conor is a good boxer, one of the best boxers in the UFC," Chimaev explained. "It would be nice to try it. Go there, fight that guy. Good money, too. Better than Sean Strickland."

Chimaev is already set to earn UFC champion money—likely somewhere between three and ten million per fight—but as the sport's biggest stars know, that's pocket change compared to the boxing ring. Zuffa Boxing, backed by Saudi investment, has proven it's willing to splash serious cash. Recent examples include Conor Benn's massive $15 million payday for a forgettable undercard bout and Tyson Fury's reported $25 million for a soft rebound fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov. For context, Fury's top-tier paydays have soared past $80 to $100 million.

For Chimaev, the math is simple: McGregor means millions. And with Zuffa Boxing's deep pockets and a growing appetite for crossover spectacles, this clash of UFC titans in the squared circle might be more than just a pipe dream. Stay tuned—because if there's one thing Khamzat Chimaev loves almost as much as winning, it's cashing in.