Khamzat Chimaev Compares his Title Journey to Khabib Nurmagomedov: “It took him forever to get a title shot.”
Khamzat Chimaev compares his journey to UFC gold to that of all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ahead of UFC 308, ‘Borz’ shared his insights into his upcoming bout against former champion Robert Whittaker and his world championship plans.
Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov
‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov retired at a perfect 29-0 and was renowned for his dominance in the cage. In the UFC, the lightweight king had notable wins over fighters such as Rafael dos Anjos, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, among others. Additionally, Nurmagomedov trained multiple titleholders including Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad, and Usman Nurmagomedov.
The Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in 2012 but was unable to earn a title shot until 2018. The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev sees similarities from the Dagestani champion to his road to the title. ‘Borz’ made a huge impact in the UFC when he made his debut, quickly winning matches by KO/TKO. Later on, he struggled with various illnesses and weight issues that kept him inactive. But, with a win at UFC 308 against Robert Whittaker, Chimaev will likely earn a shot at the middleweight throne.
In an interview with Daniel Cormier, Khamzat Chimaev explained:
“Yeah, like with Khabib — it took him forever to get a title shot. But I don’t mind; when I get the belt, people will call me the champ.”
The UFC middleweight championship is currently held by South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis. The division also has the former titleholder Sean Strickland hoping for another shot at gold. Khamzat Chimaev will need an impressive performance in Abu Dhabi to jump the line. On earning a title shot in this UFC 308 bout, Chimaev said:
“It should, but we’ll see.”
On his recent training, the middleweight fighter added:
“I go back sometimes to work with the coaches, but mostly I’m training where there are fewer people, so I can focus on my gym, my team, and my training. Yeah, they have good movements. But wrestling against the wall is tough for them. I like challenging myself, though—it makes me a better fighter.”
