The UFC’s undefeated sensation, Khamzat Chimaev is gearing up for a comeback. ‘Borz’, one of the most promising prospects in the sport, is hoping to make a return to action at UFC 308.
The event is slated to take place in Abu Dhabi on October 26. Plus, Chimaev isn’t just looking for any fight. He’s aiming for the stars, or more precisely, the middleweight belt.
Chimaev told Match TV:
“Most likely [my return will happen] in October in Abu Dhabi. The opponent is not yet known, but I would like to fight for the title.”
Khamzat Chimaev via Match TV
Chimaev boasts an impressive 7-0 record in the UFC. However, he hasn’t entered the octagon since UFC 294 in October 2023. The Chechen-born Swede was recently slated to fight on the promotion’s debut card in Saudi Arabia against Robert Whittaker. However, he was forced to withdraw from the bout at the last minute due to an undisclosed severe illness.
Chimaev’s last fight was a majority decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. At that time, White had promised that the winner of the bout would fight for the title. However, there are several title contenders in the middleweight division, including Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker.
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Fortunately for ‘Borz’, MMA math doesn’t always work as such. It remains in the hands of Dana White and UFC brass to set Chimaev up for a title showdown, no matter how improbable it may seem.
Khamzat Chimaev’s health issue Has become a source of anxiety for Dana White
UFC CEO Dana White is no stranger to challenges. However, managing Khamzat Chimaev’s career is a new level of tricky. Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene in 2020 like a tornado. He won three fights in just 66 days, setting a new record.
However, since then, his progress has been painstakingly slow and unpredictable. ‘Borz’ had already been plagued with visa issues that prevented him from fighting in the US. As if that wasn’t enough, the promotion was forced to provide Chimaev with a last-minute opponent (Kevin Holland) at UFC 279 after ‘Borz’ came in 7.5 pounds over the weight limit for his original fight with Nate Diaz at welterweight.
White recently opened up about the difficulties of dealing with Chimaev’s recurring health issues.
“Every time he gets close to fighting, he gets really sick. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say. It’s not like he’s over here in this country, and we’ve had doctors here look at him or anything like that.”
Dana White via the The Jim Rome Show
The latest setback came when Chimaev withdrew from UFC on ABC 6 in Saudi Arabia. He was supposed to face Robert Whittaker in the main event. Instead, he ended up in the hospital. Despite these recurring issues, Chimaev’s team remains optimistic about his future in the octagon. His manager, Majdi Shammas has also clarified that all rumors regarding Chimaev’s retirement from the sport are false.
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