Is Khamzat Chimaev from the UAE? Here's why 'Borz' changed his flag in the UFC
Khamzat Chimaev represented the United Arab Emirates (UAE) instead of Sweden when he made his long-awaited return to action against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in October 2023.
Born in Chechnya, Russia, Chimaev moved to Sweden as a 19-year-old with his mother and older brother. He soon found his calling as an MMA fighter and began training at the Allstars Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden. 'Borz' represented Sweden in all of his UFC fights before 2023.
Is Khamzat Chimaev from the UAE?
Things changed in 2023 when it was revealed that Khamzat Chimaev was no longer a Swedish citizen and had emigrated to the UAE permanently. His manager, Majdi Shammas, confirmed the news in a social media statement and stated that 'Borz' will be representing the Middle Eastern nation in the future.
While Chimaev hasn't directly addressed the reasons behind his citizenship switch, it is thought that the Chechen-born fighter wasn't happy about some social and legal developments in Sweden.
The Scandinavian nation notably protected the public burning of the Quran as freedom of expression, causing 'Borz' to slam the government's decision on social media. Apart from that, the UAE also offers Khamzat Chimaev several tax benefits that Sweden did not.
Ahead of his fight against Usman in October 2023, Chimaev set up his training base in Abu Dhabi and reportedly made Dubai his home. However, he has previously stated that he'll always love Sweden as his home and will continue representing his Swedish fans in spirit.
Khamzat Chimaev's coach shed light on probable reasons behind his move to UAE
While many theories were floating around Khamzat Chimaev shifting his base to the UAE, there was a notable absence of reliable information. His Brazilian Jiu-jitsu coach Alan Nascimento shared some of the reasons behind the 30-year-old's move to the Middle Eastern nation.
While speaking to MMA Fighting, Nascimento said:
“The thing is, Chimaev doesn’t have a Swedish passport. He’s not a Swedish citizen. He never was. He has a Russian passport. With this situation going on, the war, it’s hard for anyone to travel around the world with a Russian passport. Especially for a Chechen."
He added:
“I won’t go into details, but anyone who knows the story and is following what’s going on in the world knows that everybody is trying to corner Russia with sanctions. He’s living that. That’s one of the reasons why he chose to leave Sweden. Like, ‘I fight for the country, I live there since I was a teenager and pay taxes, and I always apply for a citizenship, but never get it.’” [H/T MMA Fighting]
Chimaev will represent the UAE once again as he takes on former champion Robert Whittaker in a potential middleweight title eliminator bout at UFC 308. The event will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Oct. 26.