Khamzat Chimaev, once positioned in the measure of the next UFC star fighter, has been rather turbulent. The Chechen fighter entered which considered to be the highest level of MMA fighting and seized the attention of fans in 2020 and 2021 . Nevertheless, there are certain controversies and certain health problems, which began troubled his way to glory and divided the opinions among fans.
The Usman Fight Controversy
His last fight against Kamaru Usman was quite a contentious fight that saw Chimaev come out a majority decision winner. A lot of the fans as well as the analysts raised an eye brow over the decision and there was something that tainted Chimaev’s victory. This fight, coupled with other health issues that perhaps resulted to many a no-show fight, has also caused him to lose the flare.
UFC 273: Bad Feelings That Will Not Leave
Thus, the bout with Gilbert Burns became the key fight for Chimaev as far as his UFC 273 performance was concerned. Chimaev is known to be quite aggressive in his approach and thus, he got a taste of the opposition from Burns. The fight was very close and the boxing aficionados never expected Burns to at least come close to a win. Chimaev came out victorious but was visibly marked up, suffering his toughest fight, up to that point.
Desire for a Rematch
Chimaev also has stated his time to rematch Burns and take revenge from him. As for the fight outcome, acknowledging that he ‘got carried away’, oversensitive he is regarding his property. “I wished to dismiss the guy and stop him beforehand,” Chimaev said to them in Russian in the Caucasus Investment Forum in Grozny, Chechnya. He agreed that due to the emotional approach of his lesson, he became fatigued, which affected his performance. Now, he is going to face Burns again; however, from what I have understood, he is going to be calm this time.
Potential Return in October
As for the future there are talks of Chimaev’s return scheduled to happen. More recently, he successfully underwent another health problem, and, by the sources, he plans on returning at UFC 308, which was scheduled to happen in October in Abu Dhabi. He had demanded for a middleweight title fight arguing that his previous bouts should earn him a shot at the title.
Health Problems and Quest for Title Fight
Chimaev first faced health issues in the beginning of the year and it reoccurred when he was overweight. He was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker in Saudi Arabia but was replaced by sickness. Nevertheless, Chimaev continues to be focused on earning a title shot and does not allow inaccuracies to get in his way. He was the number one contender after the victory against Kamaru Usman in UFC 294 though refused to fight for the title in January 2024 due to illnesses. He wants to regain his seat and fight for the acclaim again later in the year.
Event Details
Event: UFC 308
Place: Abu Dhabi, October 2024
Everyone is waiting for Chimaev to return in October. Audience and critics shall be patiently waiting to see if he can come out of his previous issues and bring back his fighting career and shining in the UFC again. Chimaev has set out with a new mindset as well as a new goal of achieving his dream to become a champion and prove his skeptics wrong.
