"I ended up in the hospital" - Khamzat Chimaev addresses his decision to pull out of UFC Saudi Arabia fight with Robert Whittaker
Khamzat Chimaev has addressed his decision to pull out of his UFC Saudi Arabia bout against Robert Whittaker, revealing that he ended up in the hospital.
Chimaev is one of the most feared fighters on the UFC's roster, evidenced by his undefeated 13-0 professional record. It hasn't all been plain sailing, however, as a mix of health and weight cut issues have somewhat marred his perfect resume.
'Borz' hasn't fought since October 2023, when he faced late-notice opponent Kamaru Usman in a middleweight clash. Although the 30-year-old won the fight via majority decision, it has been his only bout since Sept 2022.
The Chechen-born Swede was then set to face Whittaker in a 185-pound title eliminator bout last month in Saudi Arabia, but he was forced to withdraw from the fight due to illness.
Whilst details of his health issues weren't made public, many fans had theorized that Khamzat Chimaev was actually seriously ill. He has since shed some light on the situation, stating that doctors told him he was suffering from a drop in his immune system and high levels of stress.
Speaking to MMA podcaster Aslanbek Badaev, Chimaev said:
"My immunity had dropped very much and we wanted to rest for a little bit, a week. I rested but did not come to my senses. I ended up in hospital and to be honest, I had severe headaches. They said it was stress...I was in the hospital for two days, then I was home. Three days later the same thing happened again so I ended up in hospital once again. They said I needed to rest."
Check out Chimaev's comments here:
Khamzat Chimaev drops hint about his return
Khamzat Chimaev has revealed he is planning on making his return to the octagon at UFC 308. The pay-per-view is scheduled for Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Following the illness that forced 'Borz' out of his bout against Robert Whittaker, there had been question marks over whether Chimaev would fight at all in 2024. He has since squashed those rumors, however, stating that he's planning to step back into the cage later this year.
Speaking to Russian media outlet Match.Tv, Chimaev said:
"Most likely [my return will happen] in October in Abu Dhabi. The opponent is not yet known, but I would like to fight for the title. I have seven fights, seven victories. There is no fighter in the UFC who has won seven fights without fighting for the belt. Dana White constantly says different things, but we are negotiating."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments via Red Corner MMA here: