Khamzat Chimaev to appear in a different MMA promotion for TUF-style tournament, news announced two weeks before UFC return
UFC's rising star Khamzat Chimaev is all set to make his octagon return in the month of June. But that is not the only thing the 30-year-old has lined up for himself.
Two weeks before his next UFC fight, it has been announced that 'Borz' will be part of the upcoming season of Hype Reality 3, a Russian show with a format similar to that of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.
Chimaev's team will compete against that of Arman Tsarukyan, the UFC lightweight contender.
Chimaev is currently undefeated as a professional MMA fighter with an impressive record of 13-0. 'Borz' has been a part of seven UFC fights and has defeated the likes of Li Jingliang, Kevin Holland, and Gilbert Burns.
The 30-year-old was last seen in action in October 2023 when he locked horns against former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. The event took place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The bout turned out to be a razor-close affair that went the 15-minute distance and ended in a majority decision victory for Chimaev.
Chimaev is now set to go toe-to-toe against former UFC champion Robert Whittaker in a five-round main event on June 22. The event will be held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 30-year-old is known for his dominant grappling skills but Whittaker believes that he will be able to hold his own against 'Borz'. Speaking in a recent interview with ESPN, 'The Reaper' said:
"I think the surest way to victory is to go in there, obviously not play to [Khamzat Chimaev's] strengths, which is not engaging in the wrestle, but not be afraid of it. I can wrestle with the best of them and I've shown and proved that. So, I'm going to go in there, I'm going to fight my fight. I'm going to fight a stand-up fight, I'm going to see where it goes, I'm going to drag it out. It's a five-round fight. I've been in plenty of those and I've got no quit in me."
Check out his comments from the 4:09 mark below: