5 best Khamzat Chimaev finishes outside the UFC

#4. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sidney Wheeler

Khamzat Chimaev was booked to headline BRAVE CF 20 a little over a month after his dominant victory over Marko Kisic. In his first main event clash under the BRAVE CF banner, Chimaev took on Sidney Wheeler in Hyderabad, India.

Wheeler was the more experienced fighter at the time. The American boasted a record of 8-3 going into BRAVE CF 20, while Chimaev only had three professional fights under his belt.

The fight started off in a frantic manner as Wheeler blitzed Chimaev, who ducked under and landed a takedown. From there, 'Borz' secured top position and proceeded to rain down heavy strikes on 'The All-American Kid'. Less than 40 seconds into the bout, referee Marc Goddard called a stop to the action.

Watch the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sidney Wheeler fight below:

---

#3. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Ole Magnor

In his second professional fight, Khamzat Chimaev delivered a performance very similar to some of his outings in the UFC. He took on a Norwegian fighter by the name of Ole Magnor at Fight Club Rush 3.

Chimaev started the fight as he always does, waiting for his moment to take his opponent down. He secured the takedown less than 10 seconds into the first round and mauled Magnor for four minutes before eventually locking in a rear-naked choke, putting his Scandinavian counterpart to sleep.

Watch the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Ole Magnor fight below:

Chimaev's win over Magnor was uncannily similar to his victory over ranked UFC welterweight contender Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October 2021. Against Jingliang, 'Borz' secured a takedown and wore down his Chinese opponent before ultimately getting a first-round submission victory.

This sort of gameplan seems to be his favorite route to victory. In the wins over Magnor at FCR 3 and Jingliang at UFC 267, Chimaev didn't absorb a single strike. Expect him to deliver a few more performances identical to these in the UFC down the line.