Khamzat Chimaev appears to have put whatever issues he had in the past behind him.
UFC 319 is set to deliver one of the most highly anticipated main events of the year, with Dricus du Plessis recently suggesting that the co-main event will be equally massive.
While there are a lot of people who believe that du Plessis will defeat Chimaev to retain the middleweight title, fans have been waiting for the challenger to get his shot for a long time.
The 31-year-old is pulling out all the stops for his first UFC title fight with Chimaev training at an Olympic base ahead of August 16.
A recent update regarding his preparations has seemingly dismissed a hurdle that has previously been speculated as impacting the undefeated phenom’s progress.
Khamzat Chimaev had no issues entering the United States for his training camp
Via several Instagram posts, it looks like Khamzat Chimaev is going to be spending some time in Los Angeles ahead of his UFC 319 title fight.
‘Borz’ posted an image of the Los Angeles International Airport’s customs and border control before sharing a video of him getting out of a car in California, originally posted by Tamerlan Susurkaev.
Chimaev spending the final month and a half of his preparations in the US isn’t necessarily surprising by itself, but it does help to dispel a rumor regarding his career.
Some have suggested in the past, including Chimaev’s jiu-jitsu coach at the time Alan Nascimento, that the undefeated star experienced difficulties with entering the United States, with suggestions that this is due to his links with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov.
The middleweight title challenger claimed ahead of his UFC 308 return that these rumors weren’t true and that his battles with injury and illness are why he hasn’t fought in the US since 2022, with Abu Dhabi being much more convenient for him to travel to.
UFC 319 being confirmed as Dricus du Plessis vs Chimaev pointed to the idea that if there were any previous issues, they’re no longer a factor, as has now been proven.
Khamzat Chimaev debuts on the UFC pound-for-pound list ahead of UFC 319
Ahead of his first UFC title fight, Khamzat Chimaev has entered the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings for the first time in his career.
Jon Jones’ retirement and subsequent removal from the rankings led to a reshuffle, which was then impacted by the results of UFC 317.
After entering at #15 initially, claiming a spot after Jones was removed, Chimaev has already moved up one position to #14, with Charles Oliveira moving down two spots following his loss.
Chimaev’s next opponent, Dricus du Plessis, is currently ranked at #4, which will certainly increase if he’s able to become the first man to defeat his unbeaten challenger.