Khamzat Chimaev has a UFC champion could be bad for business.
After racking up wins against Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, Kamaru Usman, and Robert Whittaker, ‘Borz’ will look to cash in on his long-awaited title opportunity on August 16 when he challenges reigning and defending middleweight king, Dricus du Plessis. The two will headline a stacked UFC 319 card, emanating from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
As it stands, Chimaev is a 2-to-1 favorite to leave ‘The Windy City’ with gold around his waist. However, not everyone is thrilled about potentially seeing the undefeated Chechen monster win his first world title.
“Would Khamzat Chimaev winning the belt be a disaster for the division?” Michael Bisping said during a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast. “I got to agree that as far as promotion-wise, yeah, it could be, right?”
“Until we see him fight more regularly, then it is a question,” fighter turned analyst Paul Felder added. “It is a problem.”
Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene in 2020, winning three fights in the span of eight weeks. But just when it seemed like ‘Borz’ was on the fast-track to superstardom, an especially nasty bout with COVID-19 halted his momentum. The illness was reportedly so bad that Chimaev considered retiring from the sport altogether.
Fortunately, that did not happen, but his appearances have been few and far between since.
Khamzat Chimaev returns to United States for first time in 3 years at UFC 319
2022 was the last time Chimaev fought more than once in a calendar year. Furthermore, ‘Borz’ has not competed in the U.S. since UFC 279, when Chimaev’s infamous eight-pound weight miss forced the promotion to completely rework the top of the card 24 hours before Fight Night.
Assuming there’s no last-minute withdrawal — also a common occurrence with Chimaev — the Chechen will make his return to the United States in just a few short weeks.
But if ‘Borz’ ends up bowing out due to another medical issue, surging contender Reinier de Ridder will be more than happy to step in on short notice.
