UFC phenom Khamzat Chimaev beating heavyweight fighters in the gym: ‘He’s a f*cking animal’
Not even the heavyweights can hang with Khamzat Chimaev in the gym.
While he hasn’t been seen inside the Octagon since ragdolling Kevin Holland in the UFC 279 co-main event last September, ‘Borz’ has stayed active in the gym, honing his skills in hopes of scoring a big-money fight or a title opportunity in his highly anticipated return. Recently, Chimaev released a video of himself on YouTube training at the Allstar Training Center in Stockholm alongside MMA notables including Volkan Oezdemir and Irman Smajić.
Smajić, a 3-1 professional heavyweight, was apparently no match for Khamzat Chimaev despite having a considerable advantage in both size and power.
“He’s a f*cking animal, brother,” Smajić said to the camera. “He’s a f*cking animal. In the beginning, I had at least my size and power (as an advantage). There’s nothing more with that. He goes through that, he goes through. Punches, everything; he’s a f*cking beast” (h/t/ MMA News).
Khamzat Chimaev Eyes Potential Welterweight Clash with Former World Champion
Khamzat Chimaev stormed into the UFC in 2020, scoring three-straight finishes in the span of two months en route to becoming one of the most polarizing figures in the sport today. ‘Borz’ suffered a brief halt to his momentum after an especially difficult bout with COVID-19 had him contemplating retirement. Fortunately, the undefeated Chechen monster fully recovered and reconsidered, resuming his career a year later.
Since then, Chimaev has earned three more victories, defeating Li Jingliang, Gilbert Burns, and the aforementioned Kevin Holland. On the cusp of his first UFC title opportunity, Chimaev has grown impatient while waiting for his next challenger. Currently, ‘Borz’ is slated for a return to the Octagon at UFC 294 when the promotion returns to Abu Dhabi in October. No official announcements have been made, but all signs point to Chimaev mixing it up with former welterweight world champion Kamaru Usman.
The Nigerian Nightmare’ reportedly asked UFC President Dana White for the matchup directly. According to Chimaev, Usman may very well get his wish as ‘Borz’ seemingly confirmed the bout is indeed in the works during a recent appearance on his YouTube channel.
