New Zealand-based MMA fighter Cole Johnson, who competes as "Wavy MMA" out of City Kickboxing and has a single professional bout to his name, has claimed he could beat a chimpanzee in a fight and says a livestreamed match against one is planned for 11 September. He argues that chimpanzees, often described as several times stronger than humans, are only roughly twice as strong as the average person – a strength advantage he believes his own wrestling and grappling background matches or offsets, given the animal's smaller four-foot, 130-pound frame.

Johnson said the original video was posted partly as a joke, but he insists he still believes he could win. He claims the stunt attracted offers exceeding $500,000, with the planned opponent reportedly a male chimp that has previously bitten people; the animal's teeth and claws would not be trimmed for the contest, though tranquilisers would be kept on standby for safety. Johnson has suggested that, should he win, he would next like to fight a polar bear, armed with a sword.