Khamzat Chimaev pens touching message following horrific Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash
Khamzat Chimaev recently issued an emotional statement as he extended his support for the family of those who lost their lives in a devastating plane crash in Kazakhstan.
According to Kazakhstani officials, an Azerbaijani airline crashed on Dec. 25 in Aktau, taking the lives of 38 people. The airline claims the aircraft caught fire during its emergency pit stop because of fog, even though it was scheduled to fly from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny. After a rigorous rescue effort, 29 individuals were taken out from the scene of the disaster, according to Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev.
Chimaev took to his social media and offered his support, writing:
''I express my condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, give Allah1 patience to you! Give the victims the Most High of healing by their grace''
As for the MMA scene, Chimaev has yet to experience defeat in his professional MMA career. He currently has a 14-0 record, with the majority of his eight UFC wins coming dominantly.
Following his stint at welterweight, Chimaev moved up to the middleweight division and faced Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, securing a majority decision win. The MMA community, however, criticized him for his performance, with many pointing out that Usman would have won the bout if it weren't for the short notice.
Chimaev was then scheduled to take on former champion Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia, however, he was forced to pull himself out of the bout after suffering from an illness. The two were eventually booked for the co-main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, which many anticipated would be a title eliminator bout. The 30-year-old displayed his wrestling prowess and submitted Whittaker with a tight rear-naked choke in the opening round, which broke 'The Reaper's jaw.
Michael Bisping wants to see Khamzat Chimaev fighting at least thrice next year
Following his dominant win against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, many expect Khamzat Chimaev to face the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 312 next year, including Michael Bisping, who expressed his desire to see Chimaev inside the octagon at least three times in 2025.
In his recent YouTube video, Bisping stated:
''Chimaev fights three times, including against Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. I like that one—that’s what we want to see from Khamzat Chimaev. Of course, what he did last year, choking out Robert Whittaker the way he did, smashing his teeth and demolishing him without any pushback, was impressive. But Chimaev’s strength of schedule is kind of what’s holding him back."
Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (4:50):