Diamonds In The Rough
The journey toward UFC gold can be a long, arduous path. The vast majority who manage to work their way into title contention typically do so after many years of paying their dues on the regional scene before incrementally clawing their way up the rankings.
Every once in a generation, a fighter debuts inside the Octagon and instantly exudes the talent, aura and charisma that lets everybody know they are bound for greatness, that they will bypass the rights of passage other fighters must endure in order to reach elite status.
When Anderson Silva decimated Chris Leben inside the opening minute of his UFC debut at the Hard Rock Hotel back in 2006, it was instantly clear that this was a generational talent we were watching. Just four months later, “The Spider” became middleweight champion by finishing Rich Franklin before embarking on one of the most legendary title reigns in the history of the sport.
Alex Pereira entered the UFC late in 2021 off the back of a trophy-laden career inside the kickboxing ring. Within twelve months, Poatan donned that same 185lb title across his shoulder that Silva had held for so long and has gone on to achieve an unprecedented level of greatness and become one of the biggest names in the sport.
A Special Talent
When Khamzat Chimaev debuted in the UFC back in July of 2020 he instantly put the MMA world on notice. “Borz” announced his arrival on the big stage by running through two tenured Cage Warriors veterans (John Phillips and Rhys McKee) in the space of just ten days.
The former Brave Combat Federation fighter arrived on Fight Island with just five professional bouts under his belt, but in the midst of a global pandemic and with no other live sport happening, Chimaev showed the entire world that he possessed something we had never seen before.
A step up in competition was clearly needed, but when he moved up to middleweight to take on Gerald Meerschaert at the Apex in Las Vegas just two months later, the outcome was even more conclusive. A 17-second knockout in a prime main card slot under the Vegas lights confirmed the Chechen powerhouse as a force to be reckoned with.
The momentum Chimaev had built up with those three wins in less than ten weeks was interrupted when three separate attempts to pair him against Leon Edwards failed over the following months. After Edwards pulled out of the initial match up with an injury, Chimaev succumbed to a respiratory illness and twice had to pull the plug on fights against the future welterweight champion early in 2021.
Chimaev was reportedly throwing up blood and breaking down in the gym during this period. He even went as far as to announce his retirement. “Thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey in this sport,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “I think I’m done”.
He eventually returned in October of that year after more than twelve months out of action to face Jingliang Li at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. Despite his prolonged absence, Chimaev wasted no time reminding fans of his other-worldly grappling acumen, picking up his Chinese opponent and carrying him across the Octagon Matt Hughes-style, before unleashing a hailstorm of blows and picking up his third consecutive first round finish.
Unbeaten at 9-0 and relentlessly racking up victories without absorbing any damage in return, the question on everybody’s lips became ‘What’s Chimaev’s gas tank like?’. The UFC looked to find some answers to that question by lining him up against former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
“Durinho” provided Chimaev with a type of resistance he had yet to face during his short career. Although he emerged victorious after three full rounds, “Borz” was forced to dig deep and certainly didn’t have it all his own way in front of the Jacksonville, Florida crowd. Nonetheless, in just five appearances inside the Octagon, Chimaev remained unbeaten and had now picked up a victory against a championship level opponent.
A Bump In The Road
After a breathtaking introduction to life in the UFC, Chimaev’s journey became turbulent in the latter part of 2022. When the matchmakers lined him up to face fan favorite Nate Diaz at UFC 279 (in what was to be the final fight on Diaz’s contract with the promotion), it was seen as an attempt by Dana White and his team to damage Diaz’s star power before he walked away into free agency.
The fight fell through when Chimaev came in almost eight pounds over the weight limit, forcing a reshuffle of the entire fight card. He ended up facing (and finishing) Kevin Holland in a catchweight co-main event while Diaz submitted fellow veteran Tony Ferguson in the headline slot.
When Chimaev showed no remorse for missing the weight limit during his Octagon interview with Joe Rogan afterwards, the Las Vegas crowd booed him mercilessly, signalling a massive change in the fanbase’s feelings toward him. Very quickly the exciting prospect had become the heel.
Chimaev disappeared off the radar for over a year amidst a whirlwind of speculation about his health, PED issues and it was even rumored that he was once again contemplating walking away from the sport.
He was eventually booked to fight at UFC 294 in October 2023, this time in the middleweight division. His opponent, Paulo Costa, pulled out due to illness and was replaced by former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. With “The Nigerian Nightmare” stepping in on such late notice this was seen as a great opportunity for Chimaev to make a statement against an all-time great.
However, after a dominant opening round, Chimaev’s performance level dropped drastically and he stuttered to a majority decision victory (a result which many questioned). After such a prolonged period away from the Octagon, this showing left UFC fans with more questions than answers.
A main event showdown in Saudi Arabia against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was set for June of this year but fell through when Chimaev’s health issues came to the fore once more. His manager, Majdi Shammas, shed some more light on the subject in an official statement shortly afterwards.
“The persistent illness that Khamzat has been battling for major parts of training camp could not be cured in time” said Shammas in an Instagram post. “He has been in and out of hospitals several times.
“Although all available options have been thoroughly considered, it has now come to a point where the team has mutually agreed that it is not possible to carry on like this. Stepping into the cage not properly prepared against such a formidable opponent as Robert is unfortunately impossible”.
A New Beginning
Chimaev will finally face Whittaker in the co-main event at UFC 308 this weekend, but prior to the bout there seem to be more questions surrounding his future than ever.
With his only fight in the last two years being the uninspiring showing against Kamaru Usman, aligned with his repeated health struggles, it’s difficult to know whether Chimaev is physically up to the task of winning title and defending them. Part of a dominant UFC champions remit is to face the best fighters in the world over 25 minutes year in, year out and this is something he has yet to prove he can do.
There’s also the issue of his availability to fight on the promotions biggest events on U.S. soil. This weekend will be his eight appearance inside the Octagon, with five of those taking place in Abu Dhabi. Since his last appearance on American soil over two years ago, rumors have been circulating surrounding his eligibility to enter the United States due to his close ties with Chechen dictator Ramazan Kadyrov.
“I don’t think so” said Chimaev, denying those rumors during an interview on the Shak MMA YouTube channel. “People say a lot of different s*** things… I’ve been to the US and can come to the US, but a lot of s*** things happen in my life with being sick and surgeries, you know.
“That’s why I’ve been fighting not like before [when it was] all the time, and [with] Abu Dhabi being close to me, I just want to jump in and fight there.”
After such a sensational start to a UFC career that seemed to promise so much, Chimaev steps into the Octagon this weekend under a cloud of uncertainty. He has the opportunity to silence the doubters and it’s likely that an impressive victory over Whittaker will see him stepping up to face middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis next.
It is up to “Borz” to quell the litany of doubts that surround him this weekend. The world is at his feet and he may finally be about to realise the phenomenal potential he showed us during that majestic summer back in 2020.
