Khamzat Chimaev has been spotted sparring with the children of Ramzan Kadyrov, the controversial Head of the Chechen Republic.
Chimaev’s relationship with the Chechen warlord is no secret. The two have routinely been seen training together and posing for photo ops with one another in recent years. In 2020 when ‘Borz’ experienced a long layoff due to an especially difficult battle with COVID-19, it was Kadyrov that claimed to be the driving force for Chimaev to call off his brief retirement from combat sports.
Since then, Chimaev has returned to the Octagon in spectacular fashion, though his antics ahead of UFC 279 turned many of his lingering fans away. Originally scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the main event on September 10th, Chimaev stepped on the scale nearly eight pounds over the welterweight limit, immediately putting the entire event in doubt. What was especially troubling for fans was Chimaev’s unapologetic attitude towards the weight miss and reports that he was eating and drinking heavily the night before weigh-ins.
The UFC scrambled to save the event and keep Chimaev part of the festivities. In the end, Chimaev faced fan-favorite Kevin Holland in the co-main event of the evening. ‘Borz’ earned his 12th career win, dominating Holland on his way to a first-round submission victory.
Here is UFC star Khamzat Chimaev playing the role of punching bag for Kadyrov’s teenage sons in Grozny today. pic.twitter.com/IbBSNYeLx1
— Karim Zidan 🕊️ (@ZidanSports) October 11, 2022
What is the Future of Khamzat Chimaev Following UFC 279 Debacle?
Since the chaos of UFC 279, which he was largely responsible for, Khamzat Chimaev’s next move in the UFC has become a dominant topic of debate. With everyone, including UFC President Dana White, questioning whether or not ‘Borz’ can consistently make the welterweight limit of 170 pounds, the All Star MMA product may find himself in a forced move to middleweight going forward. Of course, Chimaev has already shared a desire to win UFC titles in both divisions, so a move to 185 pounds should not be much of an issue.
All signs seemed to point towards a move to middleweight on September 23rd when ‘Borz’ posted an image of himself on Twitter with the caption “185.” Five days later, Khamzat Chimaev threw fans a curveball when he tweeted that former welterweight title challenger Colby Covington would be next.
After two failed attempts to capture the UFC welterweight title from former champion Kamaru Usman, ‘Chaos’ could make the move to middleweight himself, meeting Khamzat Chimaev at 185 pounds, though that is pure speculation. The only thing we really know for certain is that ‘Borz’ will continue to call out fighters and confuse everyone as to what his next move is until the UFC makes an official announcement.
