5 roadblocks to Khamzat Chimaev fighting for a UFC title

Khamzat Chimaev defeated former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi this past weekend. Meanwhile, reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is likely to defend his title in a rematch against former divisional ruler Sean Strickland, possibly in early 2025.

After Chimaev's jaw-dropping victory, UFC CEO and president Dana White congratulated him and noted he'll talk to him soon. 'Borz' seems headed into a UFC middleweight title fight next.

Nevertheless, things are seldom as simple as they seem. Today, we examine a few notable elements at play that could be roadblocks in Chimaev's path to a UFC title shot.

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#5. Khamzat Chimaev on his alleged travel troubles

In Adam Zubayraev's YouTube video a few weeks ago, Khamzat Chimaev acknowledged the long-running rumors regarding him not being allowed to enter the United States of America. Chimaev lightheartedly suggested that UFC boss Dana White is a Republican and longtime friend of the Republican Party's presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Chimaev indicated that if Trump wins the upcoming election and becomes POTUS, it'd help facilitate his visa and entry into America:

"As long as Donald Trump is not the president [of the United States] we can't come back to the U.S. Maybe that's the reason. Let's not cover the truth. But I'm not upset."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:

However, speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri, Chimaev subsequently painted a different picture:

"I can be anywhere, so I don't know who has a problem with me. The people say a lot of different things, so I don't know."

'Borz' asserted that he's been to the U.K. and the U.S., and he's headed to Australia soon. He attributed his infrequent fighting to getting sick, injuries, and other problems. Chimaev alluded to being based in Abu Dhabi, adding that it's why he jumped at the opportunity to fight at UFC 308.

Chimaev hasn't competed on U.S. soil since his fight against Kevin Holland in September 2022. The point of significance, which has long had many fans worried, is that the U.S.-headquartered UFC and most other major combat sports promotions prefer holding their title fights in America, mainly in the consensus combat sports capital -- Las Vegas.

Chimaev's supposed travel conundrum could adversely affect the UFC's plans for their middleweight title fights if 'Borz' is one half of it, either as challenger or champion.

Watch Khamzat Chimaev's assessment below (5:42):

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#4. Khamzat Chimaev's infamous retirement, return, and health

Khamzat Chimaev was afflicted with COVID-19, which led to his ill-fated welterweight bout against Leon Edwards falling apart multiple times from late 2020 to early 2021. In March 2021, Chimaev announced his MMA retirement, before reportedly being personally persuaded against it by Ramzan Kadyrov and unretiring.

Chimaev has fought just five times since. He submitted Li Jingliang in October 2021, beat Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision in April 2022, submitted Kevin Holland in September 2022, beat Kamaru Usman via majority decision in October 2023, and submitted Robert Whittaker this past Saturday.

'Borz' has consistently maintained that he's overcome his health issues. He'd fallen "violently ill," supposedly due to overtraining-induced immunity issues, and pulled out of a scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker that was to headline the UFC's inaugural card in Saudi Arabia in June.

Considering his severe health problems' frequency and recency, it remains to be seen whether 'Borz' can train consistently and stay healthy long enough to make it to the octagon for his expected middleweight title fight.

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#3. Khamzat Chimaev's UFC 308 weigh-in scare, previous struggles

The UFC had lately followed a protocol of having fighters log in their weight during the early weigh-in window's first hour, but the UFC announced that the early weigh-in window was changed to two hours again for UFC 308. 'Borz' weighed in at the 186-pound, non-title bout middleweight limit with just 13 minutes left for hour two to end. He'd have to make the 185-pound mark if he fights for the title.

It wasn't Chimaev's first scare on the scales. His infamous weight miss for the canceled welterweight bout against Nate Diaz at UFC 279 precipitated one of the most high-profile last-minute card reshufflings in fighting history.

Chimaev's latest weigh-in scare at UFC 308 might make the promotion skeptical about booking him for a middleweight title fight next. As for the welterweight title aspirations he often speaks about, many believe it'd be farfetched at this point in the 30-year-old's career given the unhealthily draining weight cut.

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#2. Risky main event booking

The three aforementioned variables bring us to another important variable that could dissuade the UFC from booking Khamzat Chimaev in a title fight next. Chimaev hasn't headlined a UFC event yet, be it a Fight Night card or a pay-per-view (PPV).

His scrapped fight against Leon Edwards was expected to headline different UFC Fight Night cards but never materialized. He was later scheduled to headline UFC 279 with MMA great Nate Diaz but that, too, didn't come to fruition. Also, Chimaev's infrequent competition, having fought only five times since late 2020, and his history of health issues don't help.

As a confidence-building measure, the UFC could potentially book Chimaev to headline the UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia next February. He was unable to headline the UFC's maiden event there but can headline its second card in the Kingdom, perhaps with a long-awaited grudge match against combat sports megastar Israel Adesanya, who's hinting at a return in early 2025.

It'll help Chimaev solidify that his weigh-in struggles are behind him and also ensure that he's not inactive for several months. The du Plessis vs. Strickland title rematch is also expected early next year.

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#1. Khamzat Chimaev's association with Ramzan Kadyrov

Khamzat Chimaev has publicly supported Ramzan Kadyrov for many years. Kadyrov serves as the Head of the Chechen Republic. Kadyrov has been accused of human rights violations against various individuals and communities. He notably made anti-LGBTQ jibes during his HBO interview a few years back.

Check out Kadyrov's comments below:

Furthermore, amid the Russia-Ukraine war since 2022, a number of geopolitical analysts have deemed Kadyrov as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most violent allies.

Many in the MMA community and beyond have consistently criticized Khamzat Chimaev for his seemingly close bond with Kadyrov. The politician attended Chimaev's marriage in 2022 and 'Borz' waxed lyrical about him in a subsequent Instagram post.

Chimaev was born in Chechnya but spent many years of his youth living in Sweden. He shifted base to the U.A.E. last year and represents that country but is still deeply connected with the Russian region of Chechnya and Kadyrov.

For years, there's been immense public pressure on Chimaev, and by extension on the UFC, for 'Borz' to cut ties with Kadyrov. A few other high-profile combat sportspersons of Chechen descent, like boxer Artur Beterbiev, also share close ties with Kadyrov (and has also faced pressure to cut ties with him).

That said, some believe Chimaev's controversial ties with Kadyrov are the primary reason behind his alleged U.S. visa issues. If the mystery surrounding the same continues, it could possibly hurt his UFC title aspirations, as the UFC probably would be inconvenienced by having a champion who can't fight in the fight capital (Las Vegas).

It'll be interesting to see how things play out with Khamzat Chimaev. Perhaps Chimaev's words could ring true, and the purported visa problems might be solved if longtime UFC supporter Donald Trump wins the POTUS seat in November's elections.

Or, maybe there's more to the situation than what meets the eye. Only time will tell.