Behind Closed Doors: Khamzat Chimaev’s Secret Training with National Olympic Wrestling Coach

Coming into UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev revealed contemporary training with a renowned coach Salim Noutsalkhanov who coached wrestlers at the Olympics and national level. It was in preparation for his middleweight matchup against Robert Whittaker taking place in Abu Dhabi.

Khamzat Chimaev Wrestling Training for UFC 308

Salim Noutsalkhanov is a highly respected wrestling coach with a track record of developing champions. Notably, he worked with three-time Olympic gold medalist Buvaisar Saitiev for the Beijing Olympics, in addition to national champions.

‘Borz’ credits Noutsalkhanov with implementing a “better approach” to training that allows for adequate recovery time. The change aims to prevent the health issues and hospitalizations Khamzat Chimaev has experienced in the past due to overtraining. It also connects to him the grassroots of how he started given that Noutsalkhanov was his very first wrestling coach.

Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, Khamzat Chimaev explained:

“Yeah, with my old coach. I trained with him when I was young; he was a coach for the national team in Chechnya. He focused on older guys who were competing for senior levels. Now, we’re starting again … There’s nobody here; it’s a closed space for Olympic wrestlers. They gave me the gym, food, and everything. It’s just my team and me—a perfect place to focus on training and recovery.”

For this training camp, ‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev committed himself to training for UFC 308 by traveling to the mountains. He said:

“It’s different from the camps in the city. Traveling back and forth, friends and all these distractions can ruin your training. In Stockholm, everyone knows me, and if someone is sick, they come to me, shake my hand, hug me, and I catch whatever they have.”

‘Borz’ will look to potentially set himself up for a middleweight title shot with a win against the former champion Robert Whittaker this weekend.