Tag: UFC 308

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

After Repeated Hospitalizations, Khamzat Chimaev Returns to Old Coach for a Rest-Focused Training ApproachAfter pulling out of multiple fights due to health-related issues, Khamzat Chimaev is reuniting with his original wrestling coach…

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

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.

Khamzat Chimaev

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

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.

Khamzat Chimaev

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.

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev Reveals Major Training Change Ahead Of UFC 308 Return After Latest Illness

Khamzat Chimaev recently revealed that he’s made major adjustments to his training regimen to aid in his recovery from past illnesses, ensuring he’s in top form for his highly anticipated comeback next month. “Borz” is preparing to square off against former champion Robert Whittaker in a high-stakes, five-round co-main event at UFC 308 on October […]

Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Reveals Major Training Change Ahead Of UFC 308 Return After Latest Illness at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev recently revealed that he’s made major adjustments to his training regimen to aid in his recovery from past illnesses, ensuring he’s in top form for his highly anticipated comeback next month.

“Borz” is preparing to square off against former champion Robert Whittaker in a high-stakes, five-round co-main event at UFC 308 on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The two fighters were originally slated to meet in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia this past June. However, just two weeks before the showdown, Chimaev was forced to pull out due to an unspecified illness. Ikram Aliskerov stepped in on short notice to save the headliner, only to get knocked out by “The Reaper” in under two minutes.

Once regarded as one of the most dangerous and active fighters on the UFC roster, Chimaev’s momentum has drastically slowed, with only two Octagon appearances since his hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in April 2023.

Much of the 30-year-old Russian’s UFC career has been hampered by illness and recovery from injuries. However, with the looming challenge of Whittaker and the prospect of a potential middleweight title eliminator, Chimaev appears more determined than ever. He’s leaving no stone unturned, making significant changes to his training approach.

Chimaev Enlists His First Wrestling Coach For UFC 308 Comeback

During a recent appearance on the HUSTLE VLOG on Russian YouTuber Adam Zubayraev’s channel, Chimaev revealed that in light of his past health issues, he has brought back his first wrestling coach, Salim Noutsalkhanov, to guide his UFC 308 fight camp.

“The point is they now let me rest and recover properly. I used to go to the gym and just train till I was done,” Chimaev said. “Yes [I would train just to get exhausted] but then I ended up in the hospital like the last time when I was in the hospital three times in a row in the space of three weeks. My immune system went down, I got sick, and now I use a better approach.”

Chimaev further expressed strong confidence in Noutsalkhanov’s coaching abilities, emphasizing his experience in training legendary freestyle wrestlers such as Buvaisar Saitiev.

“I work with good coaches; Salim raised a lot of world champions; he also trained Buvaisar Saitiev for the Beijing Olympics with people like that. I am going to take a big step forward.”

[h/t Bloody Elbow]

Chimaev last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 294 in October 2023, where he took on former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in a short-notice matchup. During the bout, “Borz” sustained a torn ligament in his hand.

Additionally, this past January, images of Chimaev’s swollen face made rounds on social media. The undefeated Chechen later revealed that he had been battling a serious infection that had spread through his upper body, ultimately leaving him requiring ventilator support.

Continue Reading Khamzat Chimaev Reveals Major Training Change Ahead Of UFC 308 Return After Latest Illness at MMA News.

Is Ilia Topuria Lying? UFC Champ Takes Polygraph Test on Camera

Is Ilia Topuria Lying? UFC Champ Takes Polygraph Test on CameraIlia Topuria may say he feels invincible, but the lie detector test determined that was a lie. During a…

Is Ilia Topuria Lying? UFC Champ Takes Polygraph Test on Camera

Ilia Topuria may say he feels invincible, but the lie detector test determined that was a lie.

During a recent interview with his brother, the reigning UFC featherweight champion was hooked up to a polygraph and was asked if he truly believed he could defeat any opponent the promotion puts in front of him. Unsurprisingly, ‘El Matador’ answered in the affirmative, but the polygraph indicated otherwise, suggesting that Topuria was lying.

Despite the result, Topuria remained adamant about his invincibility.

“I’ve always felt invincible,” Topuria said. “This [Polygraph] can say whatever it wants to say.”

Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria puts his gold up for grabs at UFC 308

In a few short weeks, Ilia Topuria will have the opportunity to put his confidence on full display when he defends the 145-pound title for the first time since taking the belt from Alexander Volkanovski in February. ‘El Matador’ will face current BMF titleholder Max Holloway when the promotion heads back to Abu Dhabi for a loaded UFC 308 card at Etihad Arena.

Ilia Topuria

‘Blessed’ earned his shot via a buzzer-beating knockout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 to capture the promotion’s bragging rights belt. Holloways’ BMF title won’t be up for grabs in the UAE, something Topuria was admittedly frustrated by.

“No, the BMF title is not going to be on the line,” Topuria told MMA Junkie in August. “To be honest, I don’t care. They took that decision and at the end of the day it’s like, when I’m going to beat him he can’t say he’s a BMF or however they want to call him. I’m just concentrating on my title defense and that’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

Holloway is a former featherweight champion, having captured the interim title with a win over Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis before TKO’ing Jose Aldo at UFC 212 to become the division’s undisputed king. Blessed’ successfully defended the title three times, defeating Aldo in a rematch, Brian Ortega, and Frankie Edgar.

Holloway surrendered the title to Volkavnovski at UFC 245 and failed to reclaim the belt in back-to-back rematches with ‘The Great,’ forcing him to move on from the featherweight title picture. Now, with Volkanovski no longer sitting on the throne and ‘Blessed’ banking three straight wins, Holloway is ready to kickstart a new title reign in 2024.

16x9

Sean O’Malley: Ilia Topuria ‘Needs Me’ To Move Up After Max Holloway Fight

Sean O’Malley recently asserted that after Ilia Topuria’s upcoming clash with Max Holloway, the only clear course for “El Matador” is a showdown with him. Topuria is gearing up to defend his featherweight crown for the first time in a highly anticipated clash against Holloway, headlining UFC 308 on October 26 at the Etihad Arena […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley: Ilia Topuria ‘Needs Me’ To Move Up After Max Holloway Fight at MMA News.

Sean O’Malley recently asserted that after Ilia Topuria’s upcoming clash with Max Holloway, the only clear course for “El Matador” is a showdown with him.

Topuria is gearing up to defend his featherweight crown for the first time in a highly anticipated clash against Holloway, headlining UFC 308 on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

“Suga” has been zeroing in on Topuria ever since retaining his bantamweight title against former foe Marlon Vera at UFC 299 this past March. Following his victory, O’Malley wasted no time in calling out the Georgian-Spanish fighter, even trading jabs with him on social media and igniting talk of a potential champ vs. champ super fight.

However, before O’Malley can lock horns with Topuria, he must first overcome another Georgian obstacle — Merab Dvalishvili.

The 29-year-old Montana native is set to put his title on the line against “The Machine’ in the headlining bout of Noche UFC 306, taking place this Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Suga” is convinced that once Topuria finishes business with Holloway, he’ll need to face a high-profile opponent like him…

O’Malley Shares Mixed Feelings On Possible Topuria Match

During a recent interview with Bleacher Report, O’Malley weighed in on a potential super fight with Topuria.

The reigning UFC bantamweight champ expressed that, after Noche UFC 306, he has no shortage of challengers waiting in the wings. However, he believes “El Matador” will be left without a worthy opponent after defending his title against Holloway.

“The more I think about the Ilia fight, I’m like, you know what, Ilia needs me,” O’Malley said. “Who’s he going to fight next? [If] he goes out there and beats Max [Holloway at UFC 308], who is he going to fight next? I have guys lined up. I have big fights. Ilia needs me more than I need Ilia.”

However, “Suga” voiced some hesitation, suggesting that he doubts Topuria will even make it past “Blessed” at UFC 308.

Instead, he floated the idea of facing rising star Umar Nurmagomedov, a fight “The Young Eagle” has previously likened to the magnitude of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor showdown.

“To be honest, I don’t think he’s gonna get past Max anyway, so I’m kind of switching gears from that. We got guys like Umar that I think are going to be massive fights,” O’Malley added.”

Although Topuria, who knocked out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to capture the 145-pound title, has never openly entertained the idea of facing O’Malley, he didn’t entirely dismiss it.

After O’Malley called him out following UFC 299, “El Matador” left the door open for a potential showdown, fueling further speculation about a future clash.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley: Ilia Topuria ‘Needs Me’ To Move Up After Max Holloway Fight at MMA News.

Brian Ortega Refuses To Predict Topuria vs. Holloway Title Fight: ‘Lesson Learned’

Despite falling short on two attempts at claiming the UFC featherweight title, Brian Ortega is still very much in the mix at the top of the division. “T-City” currently occupies the #3-ranking spot at 145 pounds following his win over Yair Rodríguez last time out in Mexico City. He’s now set to return at UFC […]

Continue Reading Brian Ortega Refuses To Predict Topuria vs. Holloway Title Fight: ‘Lesson Learned’ at MMA News.

Despite falling short on two attempts at claiming the UFC featherweight title, Brian Ortega is still very much in the mix at the top of the division.

“T-City” currently occupies the #3-ranking spot at 145 pounds following his win over Yair Rodríguez last time out in Mexico City.

He’s now set to return at UFC 306 where a win over rising star Diego Lopes could set him up for a third chance at winning the gold.

The featherweight belt is set to be defended next month at UFC 308 in one of the most anticipated fights of the year between the champion Ilia Topuria and the former titleholder, Max Holloway.

Though Ortega is excited to watch that one play out, he doesn’t have a prediction for who takes the victory in Abu Dhabi.

Brian Ortega Says He Doesn’t Take Either Topuria Or Holloway For Granted After Being Proven Wrong

The way that Ortega sees it, giving a prediction for the main event of UFC 308 would be counting out one man and that’s not something he is prepared to do.

He was asked if he had a pick for the fight during a recent interview with Submission Radio where he responded by saying that he isn’t sure who will claim the victory.

Having faced Holloway back in 2018 and been very impressed with Topuria’s title-winning performance against Alexander Volkanovski, he’s remaining on the fence for this one.

“I don’t know man… and I’m not even trying to be political, I have no idea. Topuria is someone who surprised me obviously last time so I learned very quickly not to say or go against him, lesson learned. Max is another guy that you don’t want to go against, lesson learned. Then when you look at the styles, you have Topuria who has more of a traditional boxer style, you have Max with his just a machine of punches and then unorthodox boxing style but it’s very effective.”

Read also: Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

Continue Reading Brian Ortega Refuses To Predict Topuria vs. Holloway Title Fight: ‘Lesson Learned’ at MMA News.

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat ChimaevUndisputed UFC middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has hit out at unbeaten challenger, Khamzat Chimaev — poking fun at…

Gay champ? Dricus du Plessis responds to Khamzat Chimaev

Undisputed UFC middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has hit out at unbeaten challenger, Khamzat Chimaev — poking fun at his history of failed returns to the Octagon, after the Chechen referred to him as a “gay” titleholder on social media.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight gold holder, most recently headlined UFC 305 last month in Perth, Australia — successfully defending his divisional crown for the first time.

gettyimages 2167220998 612x612 1

Laying waste to the returning former two-time middleweight titleholder, Israel Adesanya, Pretoria native, Dricus du Plessis managed to wrap up a fourth round win over the City Kickboxing star — courtesy of a rear-naked choke stoppage ‘Downunder.

And expected to return in a title fight rematch with number one ranked contender, Sean Strickland early in 2025, du Plessis reign is at stake according to unbeaten contender, Chimaev — who referred to him as “gay” — calling his sexual preference into question.

dricus 1

We need to get that title back for the normal people, man,” Khamzat Chimaev said during an X Spaces session. “This gay champion have the belt now.”

Dricus du Plessis pokes fun at Khamzat Chimaev’s inactivity from the Octagon

Sidelined for a year by the time his return to action rolls around next month, undefeated challenger, Chimaev is slated to co-headline UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, taking on former champion, Robert Whittaker over the course of five rounds.

And ruled from a June comeback against the soon-to-be common-foe amid a reported “violent” illness, Chimaev was hit out at by South African champion, du Plessis, who urged him to just finally made good on a return to active competition.

gettyimages 2166977298 612x612 1

“You just focus on trying to make it to a fight, any fight!” Dricus du Plessis posted on X in response to Khamzat Chimaev.

In his most recent win, Chechen contender, Chimaev landed a controversial majority decision win against former champion and pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 back in October of last year in the Middle East.