What is going on with Khamzat Chimaev?
Khamzat Chimaev is nowhere to be seen in 2023. The year is five months away from ending, and 'Borz' is yet to step inside the octagon for a fight. This, however, has not stopped the unbeaten Chechen from issuing public challenges to everyone under the sun, but seemingly with no intention of fighting anyone.
His continued absence from the octagon is a head-scratching U-turn from the manner in which he first rose to fame. Chimaev stormed through the gates of the UFC and was fast-tracked up the rankings after setting records for the fastest turnaround in modern UFC history.
He hopped back and forth, from welterweight to middleweight, finishing every foe that dared cross swords with him in the octagon. Khamzat Chimaev was ready and willing to fight anyone and everyone. But in 2023, all he's done is leave behind a trail of smoke, with no fire. So, what could have led to such a drastic change?
Khamzat Chimaev fell out of favor with the UFC
It's worth noting that Khamzat Chimaev stunned the MMA world with his quick turnarounds back in 2020. In the following year, he fought just once, defeating Li Jingliang in impressive fashion. The sight of 'Borz' lifting his foe off his feet and carrying him to the fence, while talking to Dana White made headlines.
However, 2021 was an anomaly in terms of activity for the promotion's undefeated phenom. In 2022, he fought twice. At UFC 273, former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns dragged him to hell and back in a war for the ages. Their bout was as much a test of heart as it was of skill.
Khamzat Chimaev, though battered and bloodied, passed the divisional litmus test to become a top-ranked fighter. He won the war, but lost his aura of invincibility in the battle. If he was to earn a crack at Kamaru Usman's title, the UFC would need 'Borz' to look like a credible threat.
Respect between warriors! 👏
Where does Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev rank in your Fight of the Year list so far?! https://t.co/vxz8ahuZZb
Thus, the promotion designed UFC 279 as his showcase. He would headline the event against the most stylistically favorable matchup he could have asked for: Nate Diaz. Not only was the Stockton MMA cult icon an exceedingly easy matchup, he was also the biggest star he could have hoped to face.
A win would have introduced the Chechen to the casual fanbase that's more familiar with the likes of Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. To erase the memory of an exhausted and beaten up Chimaev from his war with 'Durinho', the UFC booked 'Borz' to be a butcher, and Nate Diaz the lamb ready for slaughter.
He was also given the privilege of being one of the very few fighters the promotion has allowed to headline a card without a title being involved. Yet, come the weigh-ins for UFC 279, he squandered the opportunity by being 7.5 pounds over the welterweight limit.
Worse still, he sparked a brief melee with Kevin Holland backstage that could have easily led to a true brawl. He also tried to engage Paulo Costa in a scuffle at the UFC Performance Institute. His volatlity likely raised some eyebrows among the UFC brass.
Conor Mcgregor was not impressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s weight miss.
#McGregor #KhamzatChimaev #UFC279 https://t.co/QseaUPNwP4
However, missing weight by such a margin that it caused the promotion to reshuffle the matchups last minute, might have changed everything. Chimaev was demoted from the main event and given a co-main event showdown against Kevin Holland. Meanwhile, his original opponent went on to face Tony Ferguson.
After his victory over Kevin Holland, 'Borz' was called into Dana White's office for what could only be a tense talk, despite the Chechen's insistence that it was a good conversation. In the wake of UFC 279, everyone has called for Chimaev to move up to middleweight, including White himself.
It is likely that the UFC has lost faith in him as a welterweight. If he is missing weight by such a significant margin, can he be trusted to make weight for the welterweight title fight he was clearly being steered towards? Perhaps his absence has been due to the UFC trying to convince him to commit to 185 pounds.
Khamzat Chimaev has been difficult to book as a middleweight
It seems that the promotion doesn't envision him fighting anywhere but the middleweight division at the moment. For a brief time, it seemed like 'Borz' had been given a second chance at welterweight when a matchup between him and Kamaru Usman was rumored for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Both men expressed mutual interest in facing each other, but nothing official ever came of it. At a recent press conference, the former welterweight champion implied that the matchup was never booked due to Khamzat Chimaev's refusal to cut back down to the 170-pound weight class, where Kamaru Usman fights.
Kamaru Usman tells Khamzat Chimaev to "stop flirting" with him online 👀
"If you want to fight, cut the weight and let’s fight. If not, stop using me for clout." https://t.co/21pF5tYbkQ
'Borz', however, responded with a challenge for Usman to accept a middleweight bout with him instead. This could be an indicator of where Khamzat Chimaev's mind is at. Before this, he was rumored to be up for a possible fight with Paulo Costa and even the potential for a fight with Robert Whittaker.
While both Whittaker and Costa expressed interest in the bout, Chimaev was non-committal. Meanwhile, he spoke about how easily he could defeat the then reigning middleweight champion Alex Pereira, while also challenging Gilbert Burns to a rematch, under the condition that it take place at 185 pounds.
Khamzat Chimaev has reposted an IG story that insinuates Jared Cannonier will be Chimaev’s next opponent 👀
[via @frontkicked] https://t.co/ACxCMYjmwZ
Now, rumors about him being linked to Jared Cannonier have emerged. It seems that Khamzat Chimaev is all over the place regarding his next potential foe. What can be derived from most of the reports and rumors is that he doesn't seem very keen on taking on middleweights at the moment.
He seems more intent on facing welterweights, but without the drawback of having to cut weight, which appears to be something he now struggles with. There is no shortage of willing opponents for 'Borz', with even Bo Nickal expressing an interest in testing him. But until a fight is announced, Khamzat Chimaev remains a lurker.