Khamzat Chimaev opens up about his battle with depression before Robert Whittaker fight at UFC 308: "There was a lot going on"
A very different Khamzat Chimaev opened up today about his battle with depression in the lead-up to his fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 this weekend.
In a short video posted by MMA journalist Adam Zubayraev, 'Borz' cited overcoming his battle with mental health problems as the reason why there's an air of happiness upon him and his camp.
Chimaev said:
"Well, you can say that my depression has disappeared. There were a lot of problems before, I solved a lot of things. Thank God, everything is fine now. I am human too. I also have my own problems. They needed to be solved. I got caught in depression and there was a lot going on. Well, now I've decided everything, Thank God."
Chimaev continued:
"I moved to another team, everything is great. Doctors, pharmacologist, nutritionist, everyone. I've never had such a team. I even usually took vitamins incorrectly before. I was just training in the gym and fighting. Everyone thought I woke up and fought. I'd play DOTA and go fight [smiles]."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:
This new calm and positive demeanor is quite refreshing to see in Chimaev, who is usually aggressively intense in his interviews. Perhaps overcoming his most formidable foe - the one in the mirror - gave him the depth and wisdom he couldn't achieve in all his fights.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker was rescheduled due to 'Borz' falling ill, again
Perhaps having a new dedicated team to take care of his health is the greatest decision Khamzat Chimaev has ever made in his career. Despite being touted as a future champion as early as his second bout in the UFC, Chimaev's health issues have become a major roadblock to his path to the belt.
After setting the record for the fastest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC history at 66 days, 'Borz' suffered three failed fight bookings against future UFC welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards due to COVID-19 complications between December 2020 and March 2021.
Chimaev then captured back-to-back wins at welterweight before getting booked to face Nate Diaz. Chimaev, due to health issues, weighed in significantly over the limit. He was then replaced by Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279, where he faced Kevin Holland in the co-main event.
Chimaev returned to middleweight to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, which he won via a majority decision. Coming into his second bout at 185 pounds, the Chechen warrior was said to have suffered a "violent illness" as per Dana White, forcing him out of UFC Saudi Arabia back in June. The bout has been rescheduled to this weekend's event.
Chimaev will finally face Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.