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The sport of MMA has been around for a long time now. There have been young prodigies, breakthrough stars, and many young contenders during this time. Khamzat Chimaev fits this description perfectly. Some of them went all the way to the top of the sport while some of them couldn't make it to the big leagues.
Chimaev has proven to be a unique contender during his rise in the UFC. He has achieved 4 performances of the night bonuses in his first 4 UFC fights. 'Borz' has finished all of his fights in the UFC, 2 by KO and 2 by submission.
But the Swedish fighter seems as mysterious as his skillset. Who is Khamzat Chimaev? Where does he come from? Why does he want to smash everybody?
Let's take a closer look at 5 interesting facts about Khamzat Chimaev:
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#5. Khamzat Chimaev was born in Chechnya
There are a lot of hard places to live on this planet and Chimaev was born in one of them. 'Borz' was born in Chechnya in 1994. During this time, Chechnya was going through conflict and war.
in 1999, there was another war in Chechnya due to which struggles and hardships grew for everyone living there. Chimaev's early years were spent living in these conditions, which explains his toughness and unbreakable mentality.
At the age of just 2, Chimaev fell down a set of concrete steps, smashing his face. He lost his teeth and broke his nose, which led to a deviated septum. That means the welterweight contender can only breathe out of one nostril. This is also how he got a scar on his lip.
#4. Wrestling was Khamzat Chimaev's escape
Being from a small village in Russia, wrestling was a huge part of Chimaev's childhood. He started training in wrestling at just 5 years old. 'Borz' continued training and competing in wrestling to escape poverty and provide a good life for his family.
Chimaev won a bronze medal in the Russian junior wrestling championship. After moving to Sweden, 'Borz' competed in the Swedish wrestling championships in 2015 and 2016 where he won a gold medal both times. By the end of the tournament, Chimaev was sitting at an undefeated record of 19-0.
Khamzat Chimaev wasn't a Swedish citizen and didn't have a passport, so competing in any big organization and the Olympics was off the table for him.
#3. Discovering MMA was the best thing which happend to Khamzat Chimaev
In an interview with ESPN, Chimaev claimed he was inspired to start training in MMA during a night at work where he took a 15-minute break to watch the Aldo vs. McGregor main event. 'Borz' stated,
"I was watching his [McGregor's] fight. I was watching him fight Aldo. I was sitting in night and was working. I was taking rest for 15 minutes and watched his fight. I always look at that like if the guys make so many money like millions and this stuff, why I can't do it now. I'm a fighter, I'm a warrior and I have something special inside me. I had to find some way and take out this to show to the people."
Chimaev trains at the Allstar Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden. He moved there to start his MMA career in 2017. Chimaev continues to train alongside current and former UFC fighters such as Alexander Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi and Reza Madadi, with the latter being his main trainer.
#2. Khamzat Chimaev nearly retired:
The UFC has been high on Chimaev since his debut and after winning three straight fights, he was booked for a high-profile matchup against Leon Edwards in December 2020.
But Chimaev was forced to pull out due to testing positive for COVID-19. The Swedish star continued to train despite the illness and ended up hospitalized for weeks with chest pain, a high fever, and muscle pain. The fight was rescheduled for January but Chimaev had to pull out again due to the lingering effects of COVID.
Chimaev returned to training and after sparring one round started to cough up blood. 'Borz' would go on Instagram to announce his retirement. He wrote,
“I want to say thank you to everyone for their support in my path in this sport. I think I’m done. Yes, I know that I didn’t take the belt, but this is not the most important victory in this life. It may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything.
“I want to say a huge thank you to my team. I want to say a huge thank you [to the UFC].”
Chimaev took a U-turn on his decision after fully recovering from COVID and being able to train again properly.
Watch his recent interview with BT Sport where he explained the hard times he went through:
#1. Khamzat Chimaev does a lot of charity work:
Khamzat Chimaev's goal in life has always been to generate wealth which will put his family in a good position. In 2021 his aunt passed away and he gave an emotional interview.
In a recent vlog on YouTube, he alongside his coach, Darren Till, were seen giving clothes to the homeless in Stockholm. Chimaev acknowledges that after being helped by selfless people, it is important to give back to those in need. This is something he does for fellow Chechnyan and Dagestani fighters who come to the gym with no money at all.
