Khamzat Chimaev’s red-hot start to a viral career is just red and hot now. ‘Violently ill,’ the Chechen ‘Borz’ had to pull out of the UFC on ABC 6 headliner in Saudi Arabia. He was set to face Robert Whittaker in what was supposedly a middleweight title eliminator. Away from the action, there might just be hope for him yet.
New footage shows the fighter picking and throwing weighted stones and shadowboxing in circuits and in the woods. Khamzat Chimaev picks up a seemingly mildly heavy stone, throws it, and does air shots. Rinse and repeat; while the circuit is taxing on the cardio in the long run, it does not indicate his recovery. It also doesn’t indicate if he can go back to his boogeyman ways.
Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) last outpointed former welterweight king Kamaru Usman in October 2023 on short notice. Exerting himself in the first round itself, he fought a gassed-out war. Chimaev always attacks or leans in violent short bursts. The signature style favored the freestyle wrestler, going 10-0 with finishes in the first two-round margin. Lately, his cardio has been a problem in long scraps.
While the footage is not a sign of great changes, it does notion positively; his health has remained a major topic. Additionally, even bossman Dana White was concerned, seeing posts of him on the floor, vigorously ill. The recent footage is a repost (@Sa_Gwang) from Chimaev’s own account (IG /@KChimaev). While fighters are known to keep hopes up with old footage, this can hint at good changes.
UFC Hall of Famer thinks Khamzat Chimaev set the bar too high for his own good
Weight-cut issues and recurring illnesses have sent his career amiss, but not for the lack of trying. Jalin Turner and Alexander Gustafsson are all praises for the beastly ‘Borz’ and his effort. The Chechen fighter burst into prominence during “Fight Island” in 2020 with consecutive wins in just ten days! Throughout seven fights in the UFC, he has remained unbeaten.
UFC on ABC 6 pullout or not, has Khamzat Chimaev set the bar too high? (Source: Instagram/IMAGO)Back when he returned to middleweight in 2022, Robert Whittaker told @RJcliffordMMA & @DinThomas for MMA on SiriusXM that he’d be open to training with him. From that to ‘The Reaper,’ considering him a dangerous opponent for five-round wars is a big matter. It only speaks volumes about his improvement; Chimaev was also training at Tiger Muay Thai (TMT) to meet his striking needs.
However, he hasn’t fought since a majority decision win over Usman at UFC 294 – his only fight in two years. Compared to Gerald Meerschaert or Li Jingliang, the scraps with Gilbert Burns or Usman were more lacking. With UFC on ABC 6 with Robert Whittaker falling apart, Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier thinks he has lost his momentum.
Can you fly too close to the sun? ..Because when Khamzat Chimaev started right, he was on Fight Island…went to Apex…He was so hot that everybody just thought he was going to be the greatest fighter…and now, it’ll be very difficult for him to reach the level of superstardom.
Daniel Cormier via Good Guy/Bad Guy on ESPN
Despite the impending uncertainty, Khamzat Chimaev and management say he intends to make a return. The latest snippets of his training hint positively in that direction. However, with him remaining exclusively out of touch, White and the UFC brass have not provided a return pipeline. With UFC on ABC 6 over, the upcoming UFC on ABC 7 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, August remains a probability if an opponent steps up.
