"... Insurance purposes" - When Khamzat Chimaev's brother accidentally leaked fake injury details
Khamzat Chimaev, an undefeated UFC prodigy, has sent shockwaves through the world of MMA from the moment he graced the UFC octagon. Chimaev is distinguished by his willingness to fight anyone and his behemoth physique, which makes him a formidable competitor. In the eyes of several MMA enthusiasts, Chimaev is a prospective UFC champion in the making.
Born on May 1, 1994, in Gvardeyskoye, Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Khamzat Chimaev began his wrestling journey at the age of five, eventually earning a notable bronze medal at the Russian National Championships during his youth.
At 18, Chimaev and his mother made a life-changing move to Sweden to reunite with his brother, where he continued to excel in freestyle wrestling, securing gold at the 2016 and 2017 Swedish Freestyle National Championships (86 kg) and repeating the feat in 2018 (92 kg).
In a past interview with Match TV, a Russian free-to-air federal sports television channel, Chimaev's brother Artur detailed how they allegedly faked injuries for insurance claims. Speaking about an alleged knee injury that 'Borz' sustained early in his career, Artur Chimaev stated:
"I broke my collarbone, my arm was broken while still wrestling. But that's all in the past. There was definitely no serious knee injury. I think it's just for insurance purposes."
It is worth noting that Sweden's implementation of a nationwide no-fault patient-injury insurance system aimed to address the issue of inadequate compensation for patients harmed during medical care. This was not driven by high malpractice insurance costs but rather by the ineffectiveness of the existing tort liability system.
Khamzat Chimaev fires warning shot at Bo Nickal ahead of UFC 294
Khamzat Chimaev, in a no-holds-barred response, issued a stern warning to undefeated UFC middleweight contender Bo Nickal after the American had dismissed Chimaev's wrestling skills as "trash."
The verbal exchange began after Paulo Costa withdrew from his co-main event clash with Chimaev at UFC 294 due to a severe elbow infection. Seizing the opportunity, Nickal, challenged 'Borz' for a short-notice showdown.
However, the UFC took a different route, booking former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to step up against Khamzat Chimaev with just 10 days' notice, leaving Nickal disgruntled.
While the UFC's decision might be attributed to risk-averse matchmaking, Chimaev took a more direct approach during the pre-fight media scrum ahead of UFC 294. He dismissed Nickal's comments regarding his wrestling skills and offered a chilling warning, stating:
“I don’t know what this guy’s saying. He’s not wrestling for the points, man. Here, we don’t play wrestling. This is fighting, man. I don’t care if somebody takes me down. I’m going to come up and smash his face. I don’t think this guy can come to the cage and take me down. It’s not wrestling. We don’t stay like wrestlers.”
Catch Khamzat Chimaev's comments below: