'The Wolf doing good' - Ali Abdelaziz provides update on Khamzat Chimaev's health ahead of potential return
Khamzat Chimaev made a huge splash in the UFC's talent pool last year with back-to-back dominant victories. Due to the after-effects of a Covid-19 infection, the Swedish MMA fighter sadly had to put a halt on his title aspirations.
Ali Abdelaziz, Khamzat Chimaev's manager, has assured 'Borz' fans that the young fighter is doing well and is on his way to a speedy recovery. Abdelaziz took to Twitter recently to share a screengrab of his video call with Chimaev where the latter seems in good spirits. Abdelaziz wrote: "The wolf doing good".
Khamzat Chimaev was supposed to fight Leon Edwards at this weekend's Fight Night main event. However, the lingering effects of his coronavirus infection forced him out of competition. No. 13 ranked Belal Muhammad has now stepped in to replace 'The Wolf'.
Despite having fought merely thrice on the UFC canvas, the hype surrounding Khamzat Chimaev is arguably unmatched by his counterparts. His last fight came in at just 17 seconds when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert (UFC FN: 178) with his first punch.
The quick turnaround he made to fight Rhys McKee (170lbs) a week after defeating John Phillips (185 lbs) in July last year proved pivotal for Khamzat Chimaev's rise to massive popularity. Over the course of a year, Chimaev has bagged more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
Is Neil Magny next for Khamzat Chimaev?
Khamzat Chimaev and Neil Magny recently got into a heated exchange on Twitter. After Magny's recent loss to Michael Chiesa in January, Khamzat Chimaev took a dig at the Illinois native.
Neil Magny replied to this provocation by Chimaev and told the Sambo practitioner to "keep that same energy" if they ever meet in real life. Magny is ready to slap the young brat and teach him some respect.
It looks like Khamzat Chimaev isn't backing down either, judging by his recent social media posts. It has been speculated that Borz might make a comeback in June to face Neil Magny. Chimaev recently tagged the 34-year-old on Instagram, hinting at a potential fight.