Khamzat Chimaev opens up on "violent" illness that forced him out of first Robert Whittaker fight
Khamzat Chimaev revealed that he remains uncertain about the illness that sidelined him ahead of his highly anticipated bout against Robert Whittaker in June. Scheduled to face the former middleweight champion in Saudi Arabia, Chimaev was forced to withdraw just days before the fight due to a severe health scare.
Pictures circulating online showed a frail-looking Chimaev, raising concerns among fans. Now fully recovered, he is set to finally meet Whittaker in the co-main event at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on his unexpected illness, Chimaev explained in a recent UFC 308 Countdown video:
"We was in training camp, the first month was very good, the last three weeks, my immunity goes down. I don’t know what happened. All the guys ate the same food [but] only me got sick. I was in the hospital for a couple of days. I came out and started training again and the same s**t happened again. The doctor said to me, ‘You need to just be off from the gym and not training, not doing nothing...' I went home to the mountains.”
Fortunately, 'Borz' has restored his health, and is now ready to step into the Octagon for what could be a pivotal fight in his career.
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (35:00):
Robert Whittaker issues warning to Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 308 fight
Robert Whittaker has boldly declared his intentions as he prepares for the highly anticipated five-round bout at UFC 308 on October 26 at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates. The No. 3 ranked middleweight is coming off a dominant victory, having knocked out Ikram Aliskerov in under two minutes during UFC Saudi Arabia in June 2024.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Whittaker said:
“I’m going to get in there, I’ve got 25 minutes with him. I’m looking to try and take his head off the entire 25 minutes but I’ve addressed every skill set for this fight.”
While Chimaev is known for his exceptional wrestling skills and ability to secure submissions, Whittaker will aim to leverage his striking prowess to secure victory in this crucial matchup.