Tag: Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev: Battling Back from Health Struggles to Mountain-Top Training for UFC 308

Khamzat Chimaev labelled a crybaby after attacking UFC boss Dana White over title fightBorz’ Khamzat Chimaev changed up his usual training routine in preparation for his middleweight bout against Robert Whittaker this…

Khamzat Chimaev labelled a crybaby after attacking UFC boss Dana White over title fight

Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev changed up his usual training routine in preparation for his middleweight bout against Robert Whittaker this weekend at UFC 308. The match is set to go down live from Abu Dhabi and could very well have title implications on the line.

Khamzat Chimaev in the Mountains

The Reaper’ Robert Whittaker is a former division champion who is known for his multiple wars against Yoel Romero, and Israel Adesanya, among others. With an impressive win, Khamzat Chimaev or Whittaker could align themselves for being next in line for a shot at the middleweight throne.

Knowing how big the stakes are, ‘Borz‘ upended his whole life after a series of illnesses and moved to the mountains for this training camp. Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, ‘Borz’ explained:

“I’ve been in the mountains. I’ve never trained in the mountains before; I heard many people talk about it, so this was my first experience. It was good, and for the upcoming fights, I will do the same thing. Now, I’m in good shape, good health, and I have good energy as well.

“we’ve been on one of the highest mountains in Europe, training up there, and then we come down slowly—one mountain up there, one mountain in the middle. Then we come back here for three or four weeks.”

“In the beginning, it was very tough. It’s hard training in the mountains, you know? But it’s good for conditioning.“

Sean Strickland slams Khamzat Chimaev in fiery speech about American values: 'You [sold] your soul to a terrorist dictator'

On fighting in Abu Dhabi, he added:

“We’ve been here a long time. In the summer, it’s very hot here. I was sick three times in the last three weeks and ended up in the hospital. It was a bad time, but we’re back. Health is good. I’m prepared for a fight, usually as I do, so I’m ready.”

Reflecting on his multiple sicknesses, Khamzat Chimaev explained:

“A lot of things happened after that. After COVID, I had surgeries and many things, but I’ve had eight broken bones and six surgeries in my life. I’m still here, still fighting. Whatever hard things happen to you makes you stronger.”

Behind Closed Doors: Khamzat Chimaev’s Secret Training with National Olympic Wrestling Coach

Khamzat Chimaev calls for UFC 308 return I would like to fight for the titleComing into UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev revealed contemporary training with a renowned coach Salim Noutsalkhanov who coached wrestlers at…

Khamzat Chimaev calls for UFC 308 return I would like to fight for the title

Coming into UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev revealed contemporary training with a renowned coach Salim Noutsalkhanov who coached wrestlers at the Olympics and national level. It was in preparation for his middleweight matchup against Robert Whittaker taking place in Abu Dhabi.

Khamzat Chimaev Wrestling Training for UFC 308

Salim Noutsalkhanov is a highly respected wrestling coach with a track record of developing champions. Notably, he worked with three-time Olympic gold medalist Buvaisar Saitiev for the Beijing Olympics, in addition to national champions.

After Repeated Hospitalizations, Khamzat Chimaev Returns to Old Coach for a Rest-Focused Training Approach

‘Borz’ credits Noutsalkhanov with implementing a “better approach” to training that allows for adequate recovery time. The change aims to prevent the health issues and hospitalizations Khamzat Chimaev has experienced in the past due to overtraining. It also connects to him the grassroots of how he started given that Noutsalkhanov was his very first wrestling coach.

Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, Khamzat Chimaev explained:

“Yeah, with my old coach. I trained with him when I was young; he was a coach for the national team in Chechnya. He focused on older guys who were competing for senior levels. Now, we’re starting again … There’s nobody here; it’s a closed space for Olympic wrestlers. They gave me the gym, food, and everything. It’s just my team and me—a perfect place to focus on training and recovery.”

Khamzat Chimaev

For this training camp, ‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev committed himself to training for UFC 308 by traveling to the mountains. He said:

“It’s different from the camps in the city. Traveling back and forth, friends and all these distractions can ruin your training. In Stockholm, everyone knows me, and if someone is sick, they come to me, shake my hand, hug me, and I catch whatever they have.”

‘Borz’ will look to potentially set himself up for a middleweight title shot with a win against the former champion Robert Whittaker this weekend.

UFC 308 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Topuria vs. Holloway, Whittaker vs. Chimaev, & More

UFC 308 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup. The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, October 26, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card begins at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT, with the preliminary card […]

Continue Reading UFC 308 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Topuria vs. Holloway, Whittaker vs. Chimaev, & More at MMA News.

UFC 308 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

The upcoming pay-per-view takes place Saturday, October 26, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card begins at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT.

Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria, who is tasked with getting the better of former kingpin Max Holloway if he’s to record a first successful title defense.

Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see ex-middleweight titleholder Robert Whittaker in action for the third time this year. After getting past Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov, “The Reaper” is next tasked with blemishing the perfect record of Khamzat Chimaev.

Also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of top light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, undefeated featherweight Lerone Murphy, middleweight prospect Shara Magomedov, and former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.

Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 308 main card here.

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Betting Odds

Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 308 (as of 10/25), courtesy of DraftKings.

Main Card:

  • Ilia Topuria (-230) vs. Max Holloway (+190)
  • Robert Whittaker (+190) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-230)
  • Magomed Ankalaev (-375) vs. Aleksandar Raki? (+295)
  • Lerone Murphy (-265) vs. Dan Ige (+215)
  • Sharabutdin Magomedov (-170) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+142)

Preliminary Card:

  • Ibo Aslan (+105) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (-125)
  • Geoff Neal (-298) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (+240)
  • Mateusz R?becki (+260) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (-325)
  • Abus Magomedov (-142) vs. Brunno Ferreira (+120)
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu (-750) vs. Chris Barnett (+525)
  • Farid Basharat (-750) vs. Victor Hugo (+525)
  • Ismail Naurdiev (-175) vs. Bruno Silva (+145)
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov (-238) vs. Carlos Leal (+195)

Continue Reading UFC 308 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Topuria vs. Holloway, Whittaker vs. Chimaev, & More at MMA News.

UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Weigh-In Results

UFC 308 takes place tomorrow, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! After staging fights in Salt Lake City, Utah to kick off the month, the mixed martial arts leader will close its October schedule with another numbered event, this time in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. One title will be […]

Continue Reading UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Weigh-In Results at MMA News.

UFC 308 takes place tomorrow, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

After staging fights in Salt Lake City, Utah to kick off the month, the mixed martial arts leader will close its October schedule with another numbered event, this time in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

One title will be on the line at the top of the card, with Ilia Topuria defending his featherweight belt against fan favorite Max Holloway in the main event. Co-headlining, meanwhile, will be a crucial middleweight contest between former champion Robert Whittaker and the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.

Also on the main card will be returns for top light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, unbeaten featherweight Lerone Murphy, and highly active middleweight Shara Magomedov.

UFC 308: Topuria vs. Holloway Weigh-In Results

UFC 308 takes place Saturday, October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The main card begins at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT.

See above for a replay of the UFC 308 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below.

Main Card:

  • Featherweight Championship Main Event: Ilia Topuria (145lbs) vs. Max Holloway (145lbs)
  • Middleweight Co-Main Event: Robert Whittaker (185.5lbs) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (186lbs)
  • Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev (204.5lbs) vs. Aleksandar Raki? (206lbs)
  • Featherweight: Lerone Murphy (145.5lbs) vs. Dan Ige (146lbs)
  • Middleweight: Sharabutdin Magomedov (185lbs) vs. Armen Petrosyan (186lbs)

Preliminary Card:

  • Light Heavyweight: Ibo Aslan (205lbs) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (203lbs)
  • Welterweight: Geoff Neal (171lbs) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (171lbs)
  • Catchweight (160lbs)*: Mateusz R?becki (160lbs) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (159lbs)
  • Middleweight: Abus Magomedov (185lbs) vs. Brunno Ferreira (185.5lbs)
  • Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu (241lbs) vs. Chris Barnett (264lbs)
  • Featherweight*: Farid Basharat (137lbs) vs. Victor Hugo (145.5lbs)
  • Middleweight: Ismail Naurdiev (185lbs) vs. Bruno Silva (186lbs)
  • Welterweight: Rinat Fakhretdinov (171lbs) vs. Carlos Leal (169.5lbs)

*The bout between R?becki and Orolbai was moved from lightweight to a 160-pound catchweight before they weighed in.

**The bout between Basharat and Hugo was moved from bantamweight to featherweight before they weighed in after the latter was significantly overweight.

Continue Reading UFC 308: Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway Weigh-In Results at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev Fires Back at Sean Strickland: ‘I Tapped Him Out in Training’

Khamzat Chimaev Fires Back at Sean Strickland: 'I Tapped Him Out in Training'Khamzat Chimaev claims he tapped out Sean Strickland multiple times during their training sessions. On Saturday, ‘Borz’ will return…

Khamzat Chimaev Fires Back at Sean Strickland: 'I Tapped Him Out in Training'

Khamzat Chimaev claims he tapped out Sean Strickland multiple times during their training sessions.

On Saturday, ‘Borz’ will return to the Octagon for the first time in a year when he meets former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

Khamzat Chimaev

With a win, Chimaev could earn himself a shot at the division’s top prize—once reigning titleholder Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland settle a bit of business first.

Ahead of Chimaev’s upcoming clash with ‘The Reaper,’ Strickland made some disparaging remarks about the unbeaten UFC star, much of it surrounding Chimaev’s controversial relationship with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.

Khamzat Chimaev

Though Chimaev has largely denied any issues with entering the United States, it has been long-rumored that his friendship with Kadyrov has kept him from competing stateside over the last couple of years.

Strickland also took a dig at Chimaev over a cryptocurrency scam ‘Borz’ was linked to earlier this year.

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev snaps back at ‘Tarzan’

Responding to Strickland’s rant, Chimaev made it clear that he has no beef with Strickland and even commended his work ethic in the gym. Of course, ‘Borz’ also mentioned that he repeatedly forced ‘Tarzan’ to tap out during their training sessions.

“Yeah, we sparred with him and trained with the guy.” Chimaev told Michael Bisping. “I don’t know. He’s been good when we’ve been in the gym, when I go back to Sweden he starts to tweet and do some things. He didn’t like when I said that I tapped him out [in training]. Yeah, [I tapped him out] many times bro.”

“[I got him with] chokes, and many other things. He’s good, he trains good, he’s a good fighter you know? Tough guy, tough dude. But, what I said are the things everyone see in the gym. Just ask his coach” (h/t BJPenn.com).

If Strickland reclaims the middleweight title in his yet-to-be-announced rematch against Dricus Du Plessis and Chimaev comes out on top against Whittaker this weekend, perhaps we could see the two middleweight warriors hash things out on MMA’s biggest stage in 2025.