Khamzat Chimaev's career is over if he doesn't show up at UFC 308, says former UFC heavyweight: "Enough is enough"
UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev will not be given another opportunity if he doesn't show up at UFC 308, claims a retired UFC heavyweight, Brendan Schaub.
'Borz' has been booked to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. The same fight was scheduled for the inaugural Saudi Arabia show in June, which Chimaev missed due to being "violently ill." 'The Reaper' defeated the late replacement Ikram Aliskerov via first-round TKO.
According to Schaub, if 'Borz' misses this fight too, it's a wrap for his UFC career. The Colorado native warns the Chechen phenom on his Thiccc Boy podcast, urging the 30-year-old to turn up if he wants to sustain his career:
"I’m gonna say though is if he misses this one, it’s over. Enough is enough."
Schaub's producer notified him that the bookies are allegedly betting on Chimaev to withdraw, to which 'Big Brown' stated that no excuses would suffice if he decides to sit this one out:
"For whatever reason, I don’t give a f*ck what the reason is, I don’t. It could not be his fault, he’s on his way to the arena, the bus gets blown up, the wheels falls. I don’t give a f*ck what it is. For whatever reason, even if it’s not his fault; if he were to miss weight, if he doesn’t make it to that cage, his career in the UFC is over."
Check out Brendan Schaub's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below (45:40):
When Chimaev made his roaring debut in 2020, he potentially called out everybody in middleweight and welterweight divisions simultaneously and fought thrice in three months. Since then, the Chechen's burning flame has been snuffed out, and he has merely fought five opponents in four years. His last appearance came against former welterweight king Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, where he took home a majority decision victory.
Khamzat Chimaev "dodged a bullet" claims Robert Whittaker
Khamzat Chimaev may have avoided serious harm as a result of his illness, claims the Australian, as 'The Reaper' could have gotten him under some serious punishment. According to the 33-year-old, he was "primed and ready" to take on anybody on that night.
Here's what Whittaker said to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour in June:
"I was pretty primed and ready [on Saturday]. Like, I am 99% sure I would have starched Khamzat [Chimaev] as well. And our path may cross one day in the division, you know, as guys in the top of the game but he dodged a bullet that night."
Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker will finally square off in the co-main event of UFC 308 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 28.