After pulling out of multiple fights due to health-related issues, Khamzat Chimaev is reuniting with his original wrestling coach in an attempt to revamp his training regimen and avoid overworking himself.
Since 2020, ‘Borz’ has barely averaged one fight per year and has seen no less than six previously scheduled fights fall through for one reason or another. In June, Chimaev was scheduled to headline the promotion’s big debut in Saudi Arabia against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Less than two weeks before fight night, Chimaev bowed out after becoming “violently ill” with an undisclosed illness.
Determined to make a change, the undefeated Chechen superstar revealed in a recent interview that he’s gone back to working with legendary wrestling coach Salim Noutsalkhanov to take a training approach that focuses more on recovery rather than depleting himself every time he steps inside the gym.
“The point is they now let me rest and recover properly,” Chimaev told Adam Zubayraev. “I used to go to the gym and train till I was done. But then I ended up in hospital. Like the last time when I was in hospital, three times in a row within three weeks. My immune system went down, I got sick.
“Now I use a better approach. I work with good coaches. Salim [Noutsalkhanov] raised a lot of world champions. He also trained Buvaisar Saitiev for the Beijing Olympics. With people like that, I’m going to take a big step forward.”
Khamzat Chimaev (hopefully) returns to action at UFC 308
Khamzat Chimaev saw a fast and furious start to his UFC career, earning three wins in the span of eight weeks, but an especially bad bout with COVID-19 hindered his progress and even had him contemplating retirement at one point. Luckily, ‘Borz’ made a full recovery and has Li Jingliang, Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, and Kamaru Usman.
Chimaev is scheduled to return to the Octagon on October 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi where he will meet Robert Whittaker in a rescheduled showdown.
Dana White has already confirmed that Sean Strickland will receive the next shot at reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, though it’s possible that an especially impressive showing from either fighter, more so Chimaev, could disrupt those plans and force ‘Tarzan’ to sit on the sidelines a bit longer.
