It has been a hard road for Khamzat Chimaev over the last few months as he works to recover from catching COVID-19. Now he says that he is feeling in peak health and ready to get back to his smashing ways inside the Octagon.
When he first signed to the UFC, Chimaev made the kind of splash that nobody had ever seen before. Taking three fights in short succession, he utterly dominated every foe put in front of him, even though they were in two different weight classes.
This set him up for a welterweight bout against top contender Leon Edwards, but the fight fell through after he caught COVID-19. This led to him having a severe battle with the virus, struggling to recover, fearing for his life, and even contemplating retirement.
Khamzat Chimaev Is Ready To Smash
After getting some special care from the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev is healing up and getting back in a position where he is ready to make a return. In fact, he said in a recent interview that he hopes to fight again by August.
According to Khamzat, he has been able to return to training, which has done a lot to help feel better about his situation. Now he is looking to get back to action and pick things up where he left off.
“If you are sick, you cannot think about [a] fight,” Chimaev said. “I was thinking, ‘One month, sick. Then still, two months. When am I going to be finished with this s—?’ I’m healthy now, hungry again. I want to get back and smash somebody and make money.”
Khamzat explained that he went to his home country of Chechnya, where doctors treated his lingering health effects with surgery. This has helped his recovery, and led to him being able to train again.
“When I come back to my country, they helped me and did an operation that took some stuff, I don’t know how to explain in English,” Chimaev said.
“Now, I feel much better. I can’t wait. I am more than 93 kilos [205 pounds], feeling stronger. I just started to train with my team, and I will find [an opponent] to kill.”
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Beating Jan Blachowicz
So far in his career, Khamzat Chimaev has bounced around between middleweight and welterweight. Heading into his return, he has no preference on which division he competes in, though he expects to come back at welterweight.
In fact, he says that he is not afraid to move up all the way to 205lb and fight Jan Blachowicz. He was not impressed with the way Israel Adesanya lost to the the light heavyweight champ, and says that he could get the better of the Polish champ.
“I can go fight at [light heavyweight]. I have sparred with the guys who are the top ten at [205lb]. I don’t want to say their names, but the guys know when they spar with me, what is happening there,” Chimaev said.
“I can beat Blachowicz too, Israel too. Israel lost with wrestling against Blachowicz, Blachowicz is not wrestler… Of course I don’t have that many fights, but I know who I am, I just have to show it. Now I’m back, just give me somebody. It doesn’t matter. For me, it doesn’t matter, I’ll fight anybody. When I’m healthy I’ll fight anybody, everybody, doesn’t matter. [Give me] Brock Lesnar.
Who do you want to see Khamzat Chimaev fight in his return to action?
