Khamzat Chimaev: A Monster in Search of the UFC Title
On a sunny Sunday morning, Khamzat Chimaev, the UFC middleweight star, walks barefoot through the house in California where he has resided for more than a month. Just thirteen days away, he will compete for the first time for a UFC title. The stage will be UFC 319 in Chicago, where he will challenge champion Dricus Du Plessis. The anticipation has been long, even greater than many expected. But, for the moment, “Borz” seems to be elsewhere, wandering aimlessly through the living room, as if something were distracting him. Matteo Capodaglio, his nutritionist and chef, should be preparing lunch, but plans have changed. Chimaev overslept and canceled his morning recovery session. According to Johnathon Michael Knapek, known as “Sweep”, a member of his management team, this is not unusual. It’s what they call “a Rodman day”.This reference alludes to the legendary Dennis Rodman of the NBA, who sometimes needed a break. In Chimaev’s case, this translates to a brief “mutiny” against the routine. Suddenly, Chimaev decides to go to the beach, a place just ten minutes away. Although he is not a “beach guy”, he feels the need to go. After swimming and finding some shade, his spirits lift. He starts boxing in the sand and mentions Du Plessis for the first time that day, joking about the hit he will give him for the title. Back home, he improvises a fight with his companion Issa Isakov on the sofa, and the day resumes its course. Lunch, with freshly baked bread and fish, completes the day. It’s positive for Chimaev’s team to see him like this, and it’s equally good for the world to see him compete for a UFC championship in the United States, where he hasn’t been since 2022 due to visa issues. There were times when it seemed like this wouldn’t happen, despite his talent and work ethic. In July, a rumor suggested that Chimaev might retire if he won the title in Chicago. However, Chimaev rejected the idea. His ambition goes beyond a single title. His goal is to defend the belt and seek another. The idea of Chimaev retiring at 31, at the peak of his career, seems absurd. He’s coming off a dominant victory over Robert Whittaker and is one of the most popular and enigmatic fighters in the UFC. Fans want to see him in the octagon, which gives him great economic potential. However, there were reasons to doubt. In 2021, Chimaev was hospitalized several times due to complications from COVID-19. He even considered retirement after coughing up blood during a training session. The MMA community reacted with concern. Russian doctors detected a thyroid problem, which required surgery in the spring of 2021. Despite continuing his career, Chimaev has had difficulties staying healthy. In October 2023, he almost withdrew from a fight against Kamaru Usman and was hospitalized after the match. In June 2024, he withdrew from a fight and was hospitalized again. The aftereffects of COVID-19 and thyroid surgery have changed his lifestyle. Before UFC 319, he avoids contact outside his team. He divides his time between Abu Dhabi and his hometown in Chechnya, avoiding crowds and nightlife.“You can see it in his personality, his fire is starting to go out. That’s when you know you need to let him free for a day. Let him do what he wants, and he’ll come back like a monster”.
Sweep
“I like the people and they like me. They want to take pictures, but I have to be careful. I have to be ready and not get sick. I have to show up for the fight and give my fans what they love. If we go to a mall and someone gets sick and is a big fan and comes for me, you know? Better to stay home, prepare for the fight”.
Khamzat Chimaev
Ilir Latifi, a retired UFC veteran, recalls seeing Chimaev training at the Allstars Training Center in Sweden late at night. Chimaev joined the gym in 2017 and lived in a small storage unit for the first two years of his career.“I don’t know. I just want to go, fight, make money. When we started talking about the belt, like the guys who say: ‘You are the first Chechen to fight for the belt’, yes, maybe it’s big, but it’s still a fight. I’ve fought before, 14 times. Now, I’m going to go one more”.
Khamzat Chimaev
When Chimaev has been able to compete without complications, he has shown potential comparable to that of Jon Jones. Much of this is due to his work ethic, which is almost legendary. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento, believes that his motivation is to take care of his family, who suffered poverty in Chechnya. Chimaev wants to give them a better life.
Chimaev is building several houses near his village in Chechnya, where he plans to live with his mother and one of his brothers. His father lives in his childhood home, which has been remodeled. In addition, he is building an MMA gym to train and provide opportunities for local youth. His mother, who previously prioritized feeding her children, now enjoys her life between Sweden and Chechnya. She often asks her son if he is already the UFC champion. Chimaev admits that he does not care about the UFC belt, but he does care about the money, both for himself and his family, and for the young people in his town and his teammates. For him, helping them is more important than luxury.
There’s talk of winning three UFC titles, something never before achieved. Chimaev is seeking his first title this Saturday. There has been talk of dropping to 170 pounds, where he hasn’t fought since April 2022. There are always conversations about moving up to compete for a light heavyweight belt. This weekend, he faces Du Plessis, a champion who has proven to be an unconventional fighter. Du Plessis has defeated Israel Adesanya, Whittaker, and Sean Strickland. Chimaev is the betting favorite, and money is flowing in his favor. Chimaev will enter the octagon first at UFC 319. Nascimento will try to motivate him, reminding him why he is there: for his family, his people and, to a lesser extent, his own legacy. However, Chimaev assures that none of that matters once he enters the cage.“I went through all that stuff, you know? I’ve seen all the money. I’ve seen the good life, crazy cars, private jets, watches and clothes. I want to earn more money to help someone who needs it, you know? Many of the young people who are helping me, I hope that one day they will be better than me. I see myself in them when I was in their position. So I can’t stop. If someone from my team becomes a UFC champion, maybe then I can stop”.
Khamzat Chimaev
That’s one of the reasons why it’s special. And, despite everything, the best could be yet to come.“I tell them: ‘Guys, I don’t need that. I don’t need you to say anything.’ If I go to the cage, my heart is closed. He’s going to fight anyway. My heart wants to fight”.
Khamzat Chimaev
