Ahead of his impending middleweight division climb at UFC 294 in October, undefeated welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev appears to be packing on the mass ahead of his Abu Dhabi, UAE clash against former title chaser, Paulo Costa.
Chimaev, the current number four ranked welterweight contender, improved to 12-0 as a professional back in September of last year, securing a first round D’Arce choke submission win over Kevin Holland in the pair’s impromptu catchweight clash at UFC 279.
And making a return to the middleweight limit for the first time since a debut win over John Philips in his Octagon landing back in the summer of 2020, Chimaev will draw one-time middleweight title challenger, Costa in his return to the weight class in the Middle East this fall.
Khamzat Chimaev appears in great shape ahead of his UFC 294 return
Sending fans and followers alike into raptures on his official social media overnight, Khamzat Chimaev showed off a massive back and frame in a picture taken in front of a mirror, appearing to pack on the size ahead of his return to 185 pounds later this year.
Katsaso I coming for you
pic.twitter.com/lEV9N3E43s
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) July 26, 2023
Turning in two impressive victories last year, Chimaev, a staple of AllStars MMA most recently landed a win at the welterweight limit in April of last year, defeating former title challenger, Gilbert Burns in a close, unanimous decision win in Jacksonville, Florida.
And ahead of his clash with Costa at UFC 294, Chimaev, who has been labelled as a “dead man walking” by the Belo Horizonte native, claimed Brazilian fans have been offering their own support to him throughout the build-up of the pairing, while insisting he will make Costa “cry” inside the Octagon in October.
Chimaev has also received the backing of former two-weight champion and UFC color commentator, Daniel Cormier ahead of his return, claiming a win for the Chechen over Costa would likely see him earn a middleweight title fight against Israel Adesanya.