Khamzat Chimaev‘s debut in the UFC was such that league president Dana White said he was “one of the most special fighters I’ve ever seen, if not the most special.” Former champ champ and current commentator Daniel Cormier predicted, In 2021, Khamzat Chimaev is the double champ, 170 and 185.
The former BRAVE CF contender tore through a standard UFC three-fight contract in unparalleled fashion. He was hit just twice in his first three big show bouts, and both were in his debut. And as the level of competition increased, the number of shots it took “Borz” to win decreased He stopped his first opponent after 124 punches at middleweight, the second after 68 punches at welterweight, and the third opponent, back at middleweight, with just four punches.
He was scheduled to fight Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 41 on December 19, 2020, but on November 29, it was announced that Chimaev had tested positive for COVID-19, and the bout was in jeopardy. Then on December 1, Edwards too tested positive for COVID-19, and it was severe, with the Jamaica-born, Birmingham, England-based fighter reportedly losing twelve pounds. The fight was rescheduled to a UFC event on January 20.
Then Chimaev was reported to be suffering continuing issues with the disease, and the fight was rescheduled until March 30. Then Chimaev withdrew from that bout, citing ongoing struggles with the disease, as his manager Majdi Shammas detailed last month.
Then suddenly, like a shooting star, he appeared to be on the verge of dissappearing.In a message on his social network, Chimaev said he thought he was done fighting.
“I want to say thank you to everyone for their support in my path in this sport. I think I’m done, wrote Chimaev in Russian. Yes, I know that I didn’t take the belt, but this is not the most important victory in this life. It may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything. I want to say a huge thank you to my team. I want to say a huge thank you to the UFC.
Chimaev posted an Instagram story that included an image of blood in a sink, with a somber caption.
“Take care of yourself and your family, this is the most important thing,” he wrote, again in Russian. “I don’t know what kind of illness it is, but it’s not easy to get through.”
The UFC flew Chimaev to Las Vegas for advanced medical treatment. Which apparently is helping. And Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov reached out to “Borz” and requested that he fight on, citing his status as a positive role model for Chechen youth. The central issue may simply have been that Chimaev was trying to train through a disease that requires rest to recuperate from, and presumably he has been staying out of the gym.
It all apparently worked, as indicated by recent messages on the social network, both by the fighter, and by his manager, Dominance MMA founder Ali Abdelaziz.
https://twitter.com/KChimaev/status/1374430884237996035https://twitter.com/AliAbdelaziz00/status/1374275304844259330
UG, who do you want to see Chimaev fight next?
