Deleted video shows Khamzat Chimaev dominating Paris Olympics wrestling champion on the ground ahead of UFC 308
Khamzat Chimaev swiftly achieved recognition as one of the most talented prospects after his UFC debut in July 2020. 'Borz' fought twice within the span of ten days and rattled off victories against John Phillips and Rhys McKee.
He holds the record for the fastest consecutive wins and the quickest three-fight win streak in modern UFC history (66 days). During his rise in the sport, Chimaev steamrolled through competition with his wrestling prowess and was widely hailed as a future champion.
That being said, the 30-year-old has been battling inconsistency and health issues that forced him to pull out of the fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia in June. The UFC has rebooked the fight, which will serve as the co-main event at UFC 308. The event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Most recently, a video of Chimaev training with Razambek Zhamalov has surfaced on social media. Despite his opponent's distinguished wrestling skills, Chimaev held his own, which came as a surprise to many fans.
Check out the video below:
Speaking about the training session with Zhamalov on Instagram, Chimaev said:
"Conducted training with the renowned freestyle fighter, the newly crowned Paris Olympic champion Razambek Zhamalov. You can learn a lot from such a master and adopt the enormous experience that he has and coaches Adam Saytiev and Musa Saidulbatalov invest in him. Razambek is a very bright, spectacular, and competent fighter who has shown us some tricks from his arsenal that will surely benefit each of us."
Check out the Instagram post below:
Zhamalov has achieved multiple national wrestling titles and earned medals in international competitions, most recently claiming the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Additionally, he is recognized for his contributions to youth development in wrestling and mentoring aspiring athletes.
Roman Dolidze wants to fight the winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Roman Dolidze recently picked up a TKO (corner stoppage) victory over Kevin Holland at UFC 307. With this win, he improved his record to 14-3 in MMA and 8-3 in the UFC.
Following the victory, he claimed that he wants to fight the winner of the upcoming bout between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. The No.9-ranked UFC middleweight contender expressed his desire to compete against the top-tier fighters in the division at the UFC 307 post-fight press conference and said:
“I would like to fight in December [against] the winner or loser of the Khamzat [Chimaev] and [Robert] Whitaker fight because both of these fighters are incredible. [They are] good fighters. I respect them, and as always, I want to test myself with the best. I think these guys are best in our division.”
Check out Roman Dolidze's comments below (2:40):