All those reports of Chimaev being unable to secure a visa to enter the U.S. are not true, according to Khamzat in a new interview.
Coming into his fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev is denying there’s any issue with his ability to enter the United States.
Chimaev hasn’t fought in the U.S. since a September 2022 win over Kevin Holland and hasn’t entered North America for at least the past year and a half. Multiple sources including former coaches have said “Borz” has been unable to secure a visa to enter America. But according to Khamzat, this is all just rumor-mongering.
“So people say a lot of different shit things,” Chimaev said in a new interview with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri. “I’ve been in U.S. and can come to the U.S., but lot of s— things happen in my life — being sick, surgeries, you know, so that’s why I’ve been fighting not like I did before, all the time.”
“Abu Dhabi being close to me, I just jump in and fight here,” he said of his UFC 308 booking against Robert Whittaker. “So I’ve been in England. I’ve been in U.K., U.S., and been I’m gonna go for Australia soon in December, [I] can be anywhere. So I don’t know who has the problem with me. The people says a lot of different things. So I don’t know.”
This is an interesting comment to make, considering there’s footage of Khamzat telling Russian outlet Hustle that he is, in fact, unable to secure a visa.
“As long as Donald Trump is not the president we can’t come back to the U.S.,” Chimaev said in September. “Maybe that’s the reason. Let’s not cover the truth.”
Chimaev is one of many Russian and Caucausus fighters who have found it difficult if not impossible to obtain an American visa since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to Guardian reporter Karim Zidan, Khamzat has the added complication of being extremely cozy with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was sanctioned by the U.S. government.
Tyson Fury learned the hard way what happens when you pal around with a sanctioned individual. A photo op with Daniel Kinahan on Instagram was the tipping point that led to Fury and members of his family being unable to enter America. That’s where Chimaev sits as well, for now at least.