Fight fans have been waiting for the return of undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender, Khamzat Chimaev, but even UFC president, Dana White, doesn’t know when the Chechen fighter will make his next walk to the Octagon.
Chimaev’s stock took a slight hit during his last appearance back at UFC 279. “Borz” may have won his catchweight matchup with Kevin Holland in devastating style, but it came after he missed weight by nearly eight pounds and had his main event clash with Nate Diaz canceled. Chimaev’s inability to cut weight turned the entire event upside down.
Fight fans haven’t seen “Borz” compete since then. There have been talks about him staying at welterweight and also moving up to middleweight. He’s been rumored to be fighting Colby Covington, Paulo Costa, Kamaru Usman and just about anybody who has a pulse in either division.
Unfortunately for all involved, Chimaev has not booked his next fight and there’s no telling when he might do so. Even White doesn’t know what Chimaev plans on doing as he’s currently working through some personal issues outside of the cage.
“That’s on him,” said White during an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter. “He’s got stuff going on in his personal life. That’s not because we’re not getting a fight.
“Obviously you know how it goes here. I talk about this all the time. We have to get guys three fights a year. So if we don’t get guys three fights a year we have to pay them. The only way that wouldn’t happen is if they have personal stuff going on.”
When asked one final time if Chimaev can fight on U.S. soil or if there are any issues preventing him from doing so White replied with a quick, “Sure.”
Chimaev, 28, remains one of the biggest contenders on the UFC roster despite not competing in the last eight months. With wins over Holland, Gilbert Burns, Li Jingliang, and Gerald Meerschaert over his last four fights a good case can be made that Khamzat is one victory away from a title shot at 170 or 185 pounds. He just has to square away some of his personal stuff before trying to finish what he started.
What say you, Maniacs? How many times will Chimaev fight in 2023?
Let us know in the comments below!