The Khamzat Chimaev next fight news should arrive in the coming weeks after he had to pull out of his highly anticipated June fight against Robert Whittaker. While UFC fans wait we offer up three opponent options for the middleweight star.
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Who will Khamzat Chimaev next fight be against?
After eight months away from the cage, UFC boss Dana White revealed Chimaev was booked to make his comeback in a headlining spot for the company’s first-ever card in Saudi Arabia on June 22. Unfortunately, just a week before the bout was set to take place, White revealed an illness that forced him out of the bout.
When the young star is ready to return to action, matchups with the winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov or Jared Cannonier.
- Reaper: If Whittaker beats Aliskerov in June, it makes sense to just rebook the originally planned bout since the former champion still needs more notable wins to get back into title contention.
- Rematch: Aliskerov and Chimaev have a history dating back to their time in Brave CF when “Borz” defeated him by knockout. If the Russian can score an upset win over the middleweight great, a rematch to decide the true future face at 185 pounds is a logical route to go.
- Killa Gorilla: After coming up short against Nassourdine Imavov in June, the former title challenger has fallen to a spot in the middleweight rankings that makes a matchup with Chimaev a reasonable option.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman recap
After sitting out for a year, Chimaev made his return to the cage in October 2023 to face his stiffest test year, former welterweight king Kamaru Usman.
What happened: While Usman showed he had speed and striking advantages early, like many men who have fought the Russian, he too was overwhelmed by the size, power, and wrestling of Chimaev. In the third round, one final takedown sealed the deal on what would be a majority decision win for Chimaev.
The fallout: While it wasn’t a destructive win for Chimaev, it was still a big moment in his journey to title contention. With only 13 fights under his belt, he was able to overcome a future Hall-of-Famer who is still a relevant top 10 fighter in the sport. Some will knock the size difference but it was still a key moment in the young fighter’s career.
What’s next? Illness has once again forced Khamzat Chimaev out of a planned fight. It is now unclear when he will return to the Octagon but the UFC is sure to fast-track the popular fighter’s comeback once he is healthy.
Why is Khamzat Chimaev so famous?
The Chechen Crusher: Over his short career inside the MMA world leader, Khamzat Chimaev has become one of the most popular stars in the industry and a legitimate needle mover. And he has done that by being an unstoppable force that has met little resistance from some high-level competition inside the Octagon.
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- Khamzat Chimaev record: 13-0 (6 knockouts, 5 submissions)
- How tall is Khamzat Chimaev UFC?: 6-foot-2
- Khamzat Chimaev last fight: Majority decision win vs. Kamaru Usman
- Before he reached the Octagon, Chimaev won his first six bouts. All but two went into the second round, and in that rare instance against Mzwandile Hlongwa, he only needed over a minute to lock in a fight-ending choke.
- “Borz” became a favorite of his new boss by being down for a fight any time and anywhere. His first four matchups in the Octagon were split between the welterweight and middleweight divisions. And his first two fights in the promotion also took place just 10 days apart.
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The Russian McGregor: Trash talk and callouts on social media is the name of the game in the UFC today. And despite English not being his first language, Chimaev has become quite adept at using his Twitter fingers.
- The native Russia, by way of Sweden, has become an avid user of his Twitter account, using it to challenge many of the top fighters in the UFC welterweight division — including Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington.
- During a 2021 rampage of tweets, Chimaev drew attention by seeking out MMA fights with retired UFC legends Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre, and a wrestling match with former two-division champion Daniel Cormier. Only Cormier answered, and the former Olympian found the challenge quite entertaining.
- Chimaev has also made headlines in training videos. Dominating world-class talents like Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov and UFC veteran Darren Till.
Does Khamzat Chimaev have a wife?
The UFC star does not talk much about his personal life, however, there have been reports that he was married in May of 2022. Furthermore, following his win over Kamaru Usman he revealed that he now has an infant child that has become one of his new motivations in life.
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Khamzat Chimaev’s net worth
The measure of a fighter’s success is the dollars and cents they stack up from a career of professional fisticuffs. It is still early days for Chimaev, but his net worth is estimated to be $1 million.
What language does Khamzat speak?
Khamzat Chimaev is a man of many talents and that includes speaking multiple languages. He learned Russian and Chechen while growing up in the Republic of Chechnya. He eventually moved to Sweden and there he learned both Swedish and English.