What does Khamzat Chimaev's nickname 'Borz' mean?
Khamzat Chimaev's nickname 'Borz' translates to the wolf in Chechen, which is a very ferocious animal that fiercely rules its territory. The wolf is also the national animal of Chechnya, where Chimaev was born.
'Borz' first entered the UFC octagon in 2020. On his debut, he defeated John Phillips via submission at UFC Fight Island 1. The victory also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.
Chimaev then went on to record two consecutive victories over Rhys McKee and Gerald Meerschaert. His spectacular performances earned him two more $50,000 bonuses.
In his first three outings, Chimaev impressed the entire UFC fanbase with his outstanding display of skill and power. 'Borz' is often compared to lightweight G.O.A.T Khabib Nurmagomedov due to their similar fighting style and performances.
Khamzat Chimaev is without a doubt one of the best young fighters in the UFC right now. With his excellent technique and passion for the sport, the Chechen-born Swede has definitely made a mark in a short amount of time on MMA's biggest stage.
Khamzat Chimaev is scheduled to fight Li Jingliang at UFC 267
Khamzat Chimaev is set to square off against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 this Saturday. The event will be held in Abu Dhabi, where Chimaev first broke onto the scene last summer.
Li Jingliang is fresh off a brutal knockout win over Santiago Ponzinibbio. He is regarded as the underdog heading into his second fight of the year. However, the Chinese star seems positive about the upcoming bout. During UFC 267 media day, Jingliang said:
“I’m used to this, being an underdog, so believe in your team, believe in your family, believe in your friends and have faith in yourself. At the end, only the fist does the talking. Other people’s opinions don’t matter.”
Catch Li Jingliang's full UFC 267 media day appearance below:
Against Jingliang, Chimaev will be facing his first ranked opponent in the UFC.
The fight will reveal whether Khamzat Chimaev is the next great thing and if he is able to live up to the hype that's been created around his first three performances in UFC.
Khamzat Chimaev makes his highly-anticipated return against Li Jingliang at #UFC267 https://t.co/EH59BhLBd2