Khamzat Chimaev has signed a new UFC deal, and he says it is quite a lucrative contract.
Chimaev made his UFC debut back in 2020. He was immediately praised for nabbing two finishes under the UFC banner in just 10 days. “Borz” has gone 6-0 during his time with the UFC, and he’s only gone the distance once.
Ahead of his UFC 294 showdown with former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, ESPN‘s Brett Okamoto reported that Chimaev signed a UFC contract extension. Okamoto caught wind of the news from Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas.
Khamzat Chimaev Claims Huge Paydays Ahead With New UFC Deal
During an interview with Nina-Marie Daniele, Khamzat Chimaev revealed the whopping total amount the new deal is worth.
“Seven fights, it’s almost $20 million,” Chimaev said. “More than $20 million.”
If Chimaev’s claim is accurate, that suggests he’ll be making roughly $3 million per fight. Of course, the deal could be structured in a way where he gets more money for certain fights, but the exact terms aren’t known. It would be quite the financial gain for Chimaev, but it may seem like a steal for the UFC if “Borz” can live up to the hype.
Chimaev is in for a massive test when he meets Usman on October 21 in Abu Dhabi. The winner has been promised a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. That title is currently held by Sean Strickland following his colossal upset win over Israel Adesanya back in September. With Adesanya going on hiatus, it leaves the middleweight division wide open.
“Borz” has gone back and forth between the welterweight and middleweight divisions. It might be safe to say that if he can defeat Usman, and then go on to capture middleweight gold, Chimaev will ditch the 170-pound weight class for good. It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold for Chimaev during his new UFC deal.
Here’s Nina-Marie Daniele’s full interview with Khamzat Chimaev:
