Khamzat Chimaev's close friend calls reports of food poisoning "fake rumors," details harrowing picture
Internet personality Tam Khan recently cleared the air about rumors suggesting that food poisoning forced Khamzat Chimaev out of his UFC Saudi Arabia fight against Robert Whittaker. Chimaev's withdrawal due to a severe health concern has become one of the biggest storylines over the last few days. Concerning reports have emerged about his health condition and competitive future.
Recently, Chimaev's friend and MMA fighter Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov claimed that Chimaev chose to pull out of the fight due to a severe case of food poisoning. He admitted that he had not spoken to 'Borz' personally and got to know about the situation from the Chechen fighter's close friends and teammates.
In a recent social media post, however, Khan claimed that the reports were false but admitted that the situation was serious:
"All these fake rumors about @KChimaev pulling out due to food poisoning is absolutely bullsh**. I was part of the camp and behind the scenes. As a brother I won't share his dark times but trust me when I say, he was very sick and hospitalized. The guy's a beast and to see him so bad wasn't a good time for us all. Praying for his recovery and comeback."
He further wrote:
"Unfortunately, God had other plans and nobody could've anticipated or foreseen this. The last weeks were tough and he tried every solution but last week got so bad that it was impossible to fight. InshaAllah he'll be back but for now, rest and recovery is needed."
Dana White shares what he knows about Khamzat Chimaev's health, timeline for comeback
Khamzat Chimaev started his UFC career with a series of quick turnarounds. However, injuries and health issues have negatively impacted his MMA career in recent years.
During a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show, UFC CEO Dana White addressed Chimaev's condition and expressed concerns about the 30-year-old's health:
"The problem is we really don't know. I saw video footage of him on the ground, violently ill. He was hospitalized again. Every time he gets close to fighting, he gets really sick. I don't know. I don't know what to say. It's not like he's over here in this country, and we've had doctors here to look at him or anything like that. He's sort of out of touch. So it's tough to deal with.
Catch Dana White's comments here (2:33:45).
Chimaev's manager Majdi Shammas recently refuted the retirement rumors and stated that Chimaev will return to competition. Meanwhile, 'Borz' has also shared a heartwarming message in his first social media post since the bout cancellation.