UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev has an event in mind for his return to the Octagon, but he’s struggling to find a man to stand opposite from for it.
Since arriving on MMA’s biggest stage in 2020, Chimaev has maintained his unbeaten status and forged a path of destruction en route to the top of the 170-pound division. While that included three decimations prior to a difficult bout of COVID-19, “Borz” has since defeated three notable foes.
First was Li Jingliang, whom he dominantly rag-dolled around the cage before choking him unconscious inside the first round at UFC 267, and then came Gilbert Burns. As many expected, “Durinho” marked the toughest test to date for Chimaev, taking him the distance for the first time in his career.
Having gotten out the other side with a victory on the scorecards, the Chechen-born Swede turned his attention to the departing Nate Diaz. But with a huge weight miss prior to UFC 279, “Borz” found himself sharing the cage with Kevin Holland instead.
While the pre-fight antics ahead of his first-round submission win over “Trailblazer” drew criticism and had many calling for an end to his career at welterweight, UFC President Dana White noted that Chimaev will have one more chance in the division.
But although championship glory at 170 pounds is still on his to-do list, Chimaev just wants an opponent — welterweight or middleweight.
“It doesn’t matter [if it’s 170 or 185], just need some opponent,” Khamzat Chimaev said during a recent video on his YouTube channel. “I’m tired to do it, the trash-talking. This is not my game. I am the next for the title, so… who are these guys gonna fight?”
Chimaev went on to claim that four opponents have turned him down since his last triumph inside the Octagon, a ‘ducking’ narrative that has existed throughout his UFC tenure.
“I just wanna fight, give me somebody. If the guys run away from me, just give me somebody,” Chimaev stated. “Nobody wants to fight. F**k these boys. They gave me four different countries, four different opponents, nobody want to fight.”
Khamzat Chimaev Targets Another Vegas PPV Appearance
Khamzat Chimaev has recently been training in Dubai with the Allstar team. Despite not currently having a matchup in the pipeline, “Borz” still appears to be preparing extensively as the start of a new year approaches.
That’s because, if all goes according to plan, fight week is just 10 weeks away.
Having made two pay-per-view appearances in 2022 and developed his growing notoriety even further, Chimaev is understandably targeting more outings at marquee events next year, starting with UFC 285 in Las Vegas.
“Training camp, brother! Gonna fight somebody. I don’t know who,” Khamzat Chimaev said. “They change your opponents all day, all the time. So, every week, I has new opponent. But nobody want to fight.
“The guys speak a lot of trash talk, a lot of about me. ‘I want to fight you! I want to fight you!’ But when it comes to the fight and sign the contract, they want to run away… I’m always ready. We’ll see what’s gonna happen now,” Chimaev continued. “I think it will be, I hope so, Vegas, March. We’ll see, but I don’t know who.”
While many see Khamzat Chimaev as being one victory away from a welterweight title shot, with Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad representing a pair of names pitched by some as logical opponents, the Chechen-born Swede’s usual stomping ground isn’t the only weight class he’s considering.
He reiterated his desire for an immediate shot at Alex Pereira’s newly won middleweight gold.
“Alex Pereira, he has 6-1 record, he’s lost,” Khamzat Chimaev noted. “I’ve never lost in my life. And he lost to a sh*t guy, the guy isn’t in the UFC as well. UFC doesn’t want it, the guy don’t want it. What am I gonna do?”