Chechen UFC star clashes with Brazilian rival in gym bust-up (VIDEO)

UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev appears to have made an enemy in former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa after a clash in the gym, and has also warned Nate Diaz and his camp about pulling any stunts at their press conference ahead of their showdown in Las Vegas this weekend.

Chechen-born Chimaev is preparing for the biggest fight of his life UFC 279 where he will take on the legendary Diaz in the headline bout he hopes will give him a shot at the welterweight title and its holder Leon Edwards should he prevail.

Simultaneously, the 11-0 contender has also campaigned at middleweight and wants to become champion there too. 

And in footage caught on camera, Chimaev could be on his way to meeting a big scalp in the division in former title contender Paulo Costa, who tried and failed to relieve current ruler Israel Adesanya of the crown in 2020, while appearing as if he has a settle to score with the Brazilian meme king.

With Costa appearing to have just finished a training session in the octagon with Diaz's teammate and former UFC welterweight title challenger Jake Shields, Costa makes his way over to Chimaev and his entourage on the other side of the cage at the UFC's Las Vegas Performance Institute.

"Did you say you want to f**k me up?" Chimaev asks, to which Costa replies calmly: "I want to fight you, do you want to fight me?"

This making Chimaev irate, he then has to be held back by his colleagues and says: "I want to f**k you up now, p***y boy. Brazilian p****y."

WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE

Mocking Costa for being humped from behind by Adesanya in their match, Chimaev asked: "What happened with Israel, he f**ked your a**, yeah?"

"I'm here now, you said you were going to f**k me up. You're a p***y now," Chimaev claims.

It is believed that Costa has angered Chimaev by predicting that Diaz will hand him his first loss and also referring to the Stockholm-based fighter as a fake gangster.

"I think Nate Diaz will beat him, Nate is a real gangster," Costa remarked in a recent Instagram video. "Chimaev calls himself a real gangster, but he's just a gourmet Chechen. He's not a real gangster, f**k that guy. Nate Diaz will f*** him up, I'm with Nate all day. F**k that gourmet Chechen.

"If Chimaev beats Nate Diaz, we can do this [fight] for my last one," said Costa, who, like Diaz, has just one fight left on his UFC contract and may test free agency. 

READ MORE: UFC releases ‘seek & destroy’ promo for Chechen star vs MMA icon (VIDEO)

For Shields, though, Costa's point was proven by Chimaev posturing but not actually putting his money where his mouth is and throwing hands at Costa. 

"If he wanted to fight Paulo, he would’ve run in there and started swinging on him, not stood outside the cage and say, ‘Let’s fight right now. Let’s fight right now.’" Shields pointed out to MMA Junkie

"It seemed kind of a weak thing. I guess that’s why he was upset because Paulo called him a fake gangster, and that was a perfect example of him being a fake gangster," Shields also said.

Elsewhere, 'Borz', as Chimaev is known, has warned Diaz against trying anything on at their pre-fight press conference scheduled for Thursday where there is certain to be trash talk abound. 

"Actually, when he speaks, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t understand so much," Chimaev confessed to ESPN.

"I don’t think the guy’s talking good English. He smokes too much, so that’s why his English is a bit different. My English is not perfect as well.

"[But] we will see what happens. I’m gonna have some fun and sit there. If he wants to fight with his team, I’ll have like 20 guys with me. We’ll fight with him, all the teams… I would love if it happens, something crazy."

"If they wanna fight before (Saturday), f**k the money brother, I’m gonna fight with them.

READ MORE: Chechen sensation will ‘eat UFC gangster for breakfast’

"I love to fight. It’s what I love, my work is to fight. I’ve been born for war. I’m, inside, a warrior… when the fights come, you don’t care about money; just fight. We will see what happens," Chimaev insisted.

"One thing as well, his team is old, brother. My team is fresh. His team always handicapped, brother," the 28-year-old concluded.

On Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena, however, it is just two men facing off against one another with Diaz promised a title fight against Edwards by the Englishman himself despite president Dana White showing a preference for a rematch between Edwards and dethroned former champion Kamaru Usman.