Khamzat Chimaev believes that his return to the octagon could come within the next few months after he was forced out of his last fight.
The Swede was due to battle Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia last month, but was pulled at late notice due to what was described as a ‘violent illness’. Since then, there has been a fascination about his next moves, with speculation rife over his return.
After an explosive start to his career in the octagon where fought in different weights on just a few days’ notice, health issues have stifled Chimaev’s progression. Despite wins over the likes of Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, he has been unable to make the requisite steps up to world level due to inactivity.
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Khamzat Chimaev sets ‘most likely’ date for UFC comeback
Khamzat Chimaev is still one of the most talked about stars in the UFC’s middleweight and welterweight divisions despite his regular pullouts and weight issues. But he’ll need to fight more frequently to continue his ascent towards titles.
After missing the Whittaker fight, he immediately let the Australian know that their work was not finished even after he watched his rival knock out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. And he is now working towards UFC 308, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on October 26.
“Most likely in October in Abu Dhabi,” Chimaev told Match TV in Russian when asked when he would be returning to the octagon, before adding that his opponent is “Unknown so far,” and that he “Would like to fight for the title.
“I have seven fights, seven victories,” he explained, staking his claim for either the winner of Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis’ middleweight showdown at UFC 305 or even Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad at UFC 304.
“There is no fighter in the UFC who has won seven fights without fighting for the belt.”
Dana White unsure about Khamzat Chimaev’s next moves after latest pullout
However, Chimaev is likely to be in need of a bit more consistency if he is to get Dana White to book him in for a world title fight. He has yet to make any of the main events he has been scheduled for, even forcing a rescheduling at UFC 279 when he showed up 7.5lb over weight and the card was re-jigged.
“Lately it’s been hard to get him into the octagon,” White recently told The Jim Rome Show when asked about Chimaev’s status. “Every time he gets close to fighting, he gets really sick. I don’t know what to say.”
White also alluded to Chimaev’s seeming inability to get into America of late, adding: “It’s not like he’s over here in this country and we’ve had doctors look at him or anything like that. He’s sort of out of touch, so, it’s tough to deal with.”
However, during the post-fight press conference for UFC Saudi Arabia a few days prior to the Jim Rome interview, he did hint at the possibility of getting Chimaev out at UFC 308.
Khamzat Chimaev returns to training ahead of UFC return
Fans have been given a good sign by Chimaev, however, as he has headed back into camp with a return on the horizon. He was seen battering a Russian influencer in an outlandish sparring session, and has also shared images and videos from within his camp.
In videos he shared to his Instagram story last week he could be seen shadowboxing and hitting pads with teammates above Lake Kezenoy-am in Russia. He shared a photo of his scenic training camp with a message that read “WANT SOMETHING”.
That followed a statement a few days prior that indicated he was moving towards a return to the octagon in search of world title gold. “Hard times create strong men,” Chimaev wrote alongside a training photo. “I’ve never had it easy or waited for it to be easier. Will soon show you all again who is the King here.”
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