Khamzat Chimaev’s reputation as a gym killer is well-deserved.
At this point, there are NUMEROUS stories and videos of Khamzat running through his opposition in the gym. “Borz” has traveled all around the world and trained with a ton of teams and camps over the years, and nobody has ever said the man is an easy round. Pretty much all the stories break down to the same summary: Khamzat goes insanely hard in the gym, and it’s hard for even the best to deal with!
Luke Rockhold would appear to be the latest to learn this lesson. In the highlight clip above, the former UFC Middleweight champion is rendered defensive by the Chechen mega prospect. Rockhold has competed in high-level grappling and was known for being an excellent anti-wrestling throughout his UFC career, but he wasn’t able to get any offense going in this gym match up vs. Chimaev. In Rockhold’s defense, he did injure his back in the recent Craig Jones Invitational tournament, which perhaps played a role.
Either way, Chimaev’s dominance doesn’t just happen in the gym. He remains unbeaten in his UFC career, having utterly steamrolled five of his seven opponents. That said, when Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman were able to survive the early onslaught and extend the fight, “Borz” looked a little more human.
Assuming he makes it to the cage, Chimaev’s next step is a five-round co-main event versus Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, 2024 from inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. If victorious, there’s a solid chance Chimaev finds himself in a title fight sooner than later.