Why did Khamzat Chimaev retire from MMA? 'Borz's brief UFC hiatus explained
Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly among the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster today and has earned himself the reputation of being one of the most dangerous opponents anyone could be matched up against.
'Borz' has a perfect 12-0 record and has won all six of his fights in the UFC. While Chimaev is undeniably entertaining to watch and is highly touted as a future champion, there was a time when he strongly considered retirement. 'Borz' also went on a year-long hiatus between September 2020 and October 2021.
Khamzat Chimaev was booked to face Leon Edwards in a welterweight bout at UFC Vegas 17 in December 2020. However, that fight failed to materialize due to COVID-19 complications affecting both fighters.
Later, it was revealed that Chimaev's condition got significantly worse after he refused to heed the doctors' advice and resumed training less than a month after testing positive for coronavirus. Chimaev suffered severe breathing difficulties and was coughing up blood during training.
During this time, Khamzat Chimaev was alone in the USA while his team was home in Sweden. Feeling the physical strain of the virus and the mental pain of being unable to train with his teammates, Chimaev suddenly announced his retirement on social media and blamed the COVID-19 virus. He wrote:
"I want to say thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey in this sport. I think I’m done, yes I know I didn’t take the belt, but it’s not the most important victory in his life, it may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything. I want to say a big thank you to my team [Allstars Training Center]. I want to say a big thank you to UFC."
Who convinced Khamzat Chimaev not to retire from MMA?
After Khamzat Chimaev posted his sudden retirement message, many were left shocked. However, the Chechnya native soon deleted his post, and UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that the grappling phenom wasn't planning on hanging his gloves up anytime soon.
White confirmed that Chimaev's sudden retirement post resulted from emotional distress, and 'Borz' returned home to Sweden. He later flew to his home country, Chechnya, to stay close to his family and friends and conclude his treatment.
During this time, the Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, revealed that he had convinced Chimaev not to retire from MMA. Kadyrov posted a lengthy message on Instagram outlining how he persuaded 'Borz' to return.
Khamzat Chimaev eventually made a spectacular return against Li Jinliang at UFC 267, beating the Chinese fighter via first-round submission. 'Borz' is now booked to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in a middleweight bout.