Athletes
Khamzat Chimaev | The Time Is Now
Five Years Into A Mysterious And Tantalizing UFC Tenure, Khamzat Chimaev Finally Gets His Chance At Gold At UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev
For his first year on the roster, Khamzat Chimaev was a tantalizing mystery of a fighter.
He redefined “bursting on the scene” when he scored three finishes in his first three Octagon appearances over the course of two months, including two victories in 10 days. A battle with COVID-19 delayed his fourth appearance for 13 months, but he looked more dominant than ever as he (quite literally) picked up his fourth finish in a row.
It took less than eight minutes for the mystique of “Borz” to kick into overdrive. Since then, he spent more time in the Octagon—including two wins via decision—and the mystery has faded ever so slightly, but the excitement around Chimaev’s potential hasn’t.
WATCH: UFC 319 Embedded
His next four fights provided more than a half-hour of tape on Chimaev, a bounty compared with the first half of his UFC tenure. A dizzying experience on the scale at UFC 279 gave plenty of reason for pause (although his performance against Kevin Holland was just as dominant), but then Chiamev scored his best wins to-date: a decision over former welterweight king Kamaru Usman and a lightning-quick submission win over Robert Whittaker. Both came in Abu Dhabi, and both fights proved Chimaev as a legitimate contender at 185 pounds.
Still, questions linger as he approaches his first crack at UFC gold at UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev in Chicago. Chief among them is his bill of health. Struggles cutting weight and making it through a camp healthy have followed Chimaev, but he and his team believe they’ve addressed those issues ahead of August 16. A big part of that plan includes reigning Chimaev in during camp. Notorious for overtraining, Chimaev’s team has advised the title challenger on when he must rest and recover, resulting in the most dangerous version of one of the most dangerous fighters in the world.
“I feel good,” Chimaev told UFC.com. “I feel amazing. I feel like I feel.”
Of course, that’s all before getting to the “Stllknocks” of it all. Du Plessis, perfect in all 10 of his Octagon appearances since 2020, is building out a real case as the best middleweight of his era. After wresting the belt from Sean Strickland in January 2024, the South African has looked even better in his pair of defenses against Israel Adesanya and Strickland.
Your Full Guide To UFC 319 Fight Week
A win over Chimaev bolsters his resume in a significant way, one that Chimaev believe will never come to fruition. Instead, Chimaev sees UFC 319 as the start of his own era as the king of the division, and doing so by handing Du Plessis his first loss in the Octagon makes the opportunity all the more special.
Chimaev, a man who keeps things simple when discussing his fights, doesn’t give too much when it comes to his musings about Du Plessis. He’ll let things fall where they may and let the fight speak for itself.
Khamzat Chimaev Sit-Down Interview | UFC 319
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Khamzat Chimaev Sit-Down Interview | UFC 319
/
“I don't know,” Chimaev said when asked how he thinks the fight will play out. “We'll see in the cage.”
He has a tall and stubborn task in Du Plessis to address first, and Chimaev is never one to shy away from work nor a fight. Never one to be shy about his ambition, Chiamev expressed his hope to defend the belt in Abu Dhabi, where he secured five of his eight victories.
Order UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev
What he hasn’t done, though, is think too much about how it will feel to have the belt wrapped around his waist. For all his confidence, he’s not leaving that one up to imagination. He is just waiting for the moment to actually come.
“I can't say (how it will feel); I’ve never been champ,” Chimaev said. “I know now is my time to be a champ, so I can tell after.”
Tags