5 interesting facts about Khamzat Chimaev

#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:

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#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.