"They removed half of my thyroid gland" - Khamzat Chimaev details harrowing health struggles, reveals illness that affected Kamaru Usman fight

Khamzat Chimaev's bouts of inactivity have been a major disappointment for fans and the UFC. Chimaev, who has faced persistent health issues, struggled through significant illness during his training camp, which forced him out of his fight against Robert Whittaker in June.

Despite thorough medical assessments, his condition couldn't be resolved in time for the fight. The narrative around his diminished stature shifted, and uncertainties eased when he dominated Whittaker in their rebooked contest in October to win the fight by submission in the first round.

Before that, Chimaev's victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 faced scrutiny from fans, particularly regarding the lack of urgency in the Russian-born contender's performance. Despite winning by majority decision, many critics felt Chimaev's grappling was not as dominant as expected, especially considering Usman was fighting on short notice.

'Borz' recently said that he had to overcome multiple surgeries and fractures, which seemingly affected his performance. Speaking in an interview with Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev said:

"I’ve had five or six surgeries so far and 7-8 fractures. I put myself together... Doctors told me so many times that I wouldn't be able to fight. Well, I've proved them wrong so far. I had some issues ahead of the Usman fight too. I just didn't tell anybody about it. I had a temperature and we even considered pulling out." [H/t: Red Corner MMA Instagram]

Chimaev added that his inactivity was influenced by overtraining, fans approaching him without consideration, and a weakened immune system:

"When your immune system is weak you can catch some infections. They removed half of my thyroid gland."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:

Catch the full interview below:

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Robert Whittaker claims Khamzat Chimaev deserves middleweight title shot

Robert Whittaker believes Khamzat Chimaev deserves the next middleweight title shot after 'Borz's' dominant win over him at UFC 308.

Despite Whittaker going through two training camps in preparation for Chimaev, the undefeated fighter's aggressive grappling approach proved too much for 'The Reaper'. Whittaker was impressed by Chimaev's strength, particularly his heavy pressure during wall work. Many fans are calling for Chimaev to face UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis next and Whittaker has voiced his support for the matchup.

Sharing his thoughts on a potential title shot for Chimaev on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker said:

“I’m interested to see what he does next. I think he’s going to be a nightmare for a lot of the dudes in the top-five, because I don’t know how you stop that takedown? I think he should go straight to Dricus [du Plessis]. I don’t think sitting out should be rewarded ever. But it’s not my call, not my decision.”

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (10:50):