Chimaev would ‘smash both Paul brothers on same night’ as Russian UFC sensation shares image of pair’s mounted heads

Boxing novice Jake Paul has fired a word of warning to UFC star Khamzat Chimaev, telling the undefeated fighter he would be out of his league in the boxing ring after 'Borz' said he'd 'smash' both Paul brothers in the same night.

Chimaev underscored his already glowing reputation in Abu Dhabi late last month when he breezed past tough Chinese fighter Li Jingliang in what was the Chechen-born fighter's first Octagon assignment in 13 months, submitting the world-ranked welterweight midway through the first frame – incredibly, without taking even one punch along the way.

The surging 170lbs contender has now absorbed just ONE significant strike in his four-fight UFC career to date, and will surely be presented with some sterner tests in future as he approaches the business end of a division currently lorded over by pound-for-pound great Kamaru Usman.

But perhaps sensing that his growing reputation could translate to a bumper payday in the boxing ring, Chimaev has become the latest mixed martial arts star to flirt with the idea of a boxing match with one or both of the Paul brothers, the newfound box office kings of the squared circle. 

"I can smash [these] guys same night," wrote Chimaev in a Twitter post alongside a photograph of both Paul brothers. 

For now, it's hard to dispute Chimaev's confidence. His run through UFC fighters John Phillips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert and, more recently, Jingliang, has showed that he is appears a certainty to compete at the sport's highest level – and the one-shot knockout of UFC veteran Meerschaert also adequately displayed the power in his hands. 

But despite Chimaev's confidence, boxing loudmouth Jake Paul isn't buying what 'Borz' is selling. 

"Listen Kumquat," Paul responded dismissively. "You are just another UFC fighter pretending you can box. Sit down, shut up and pray you get paid fairly."

As one might expect, this prompted another response from Chimaev.

"You number-one bullsh*t bro," he wrote, alongside a string of laughing emojis. 

Further photographic evidence then surfaced courtesy of Chimaev, showing him and his trainer Reza Madadi in a group shot apparently containing the elder of the two Paul brothers, Logan. 

"And they know it," Chimaev ominously captioned it. 

And if the message hadn't been delivered loud and clear, Chimaev made sure that there was to be no confusion as to his intentions with the controversial YouTubers, posting photograph showing him as a hunter holding a firearm and with Jake and Logan's decapitated heads mounted on his wall.

Of course, much of this can – for now at least – be dismissed as a flight of fancy. UFC boss Dana White, who has endured a very public war of words with Jake Paul, holds Chimaev's contractual rights and the chances are near zero that he would release one of his biggest rising stars for a fight with either Paul unless he was presented with a deal of Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor proportions.

But Chimaev, nor Jake Paul for that matter, has never been a fighter to take much of a backward step and a scenario can certainly be envisaged where this trash talk builds to a crescendo – but it will almost certainly be an anti-climax, so long as Dana White has any control over the situation.