Khamzat Chimaev is ready to re-establish his credentials to be the next challenger to Dricus du Plessis’ UFC middleweight title.
The undefeated Chimaev, now 30, exploded onto the UFC scene on ‘Fight Island’ in the summer of 2020, winning three bouts in two weight classes in his first two months on the roster — including two wins in just 10 days during the UFC’s Covid-impacted schedule that year.
In the following four years, Chimaev’s impact has slowed somewhat as he has fought just four times since September 2020 and was most recently seen last October in a majority decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in what was Chimaev’s first formal bout in the UFC’s middleweight division.
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Chimaev’s relative inactivity has been blamed on a number of factors: he was severely impact by a Covid-19 infection which removed his ability to train and compete and, according to reports, nearly led to his retirement. Similarly, he has also blamed overtraining as impacting his momentum — an issue which he says is now resolved.
At UFC 308, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on October 26th, Chimaev will take on arguably the sternest test of his career when he fights the former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker, with the winner set to stand alongside Sean Strickland as the likely next title challenger.
And judging by the video footage which you can see above Chimaev, who is known for his world class grappling skills, has also been putting in some considerable time to improve his stand-up skills. But will it be enough to get past Whittaker, whose only losses in nearly 11 years have come against former and current champions Israel Adesanya and Du Plessis? We find out next week.
