After being on the sidelines for over a year, Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC return this past weekend at UFC 294. Needless to say, on his return, Chimaev secured an impressive win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman surrounded by his closest friends, family, and supporters. After the win, he took to Instagram to thank his team, which included soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The post also got a seal of approval from the award-winning artist, DJ Snake.
Ibrahimovic is an avid fan of the UFC and this was not the first time he was spotted ringside for an event. There were a number of other stars present as well at the event, including Manchester City stars Kevin De Bruyne and Steven Seagal.
Khamzat Chimaev thanks Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Team, DJ Snake reacts
For the uninitiated, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the biggest soccer stars in the world with a whopping 63.7 million followers on Instagram. The 42-year-old recently announced his retirement from soccer after over two decades in the sport.
Prior to the UFC 294 event, Ibrahimovic shared his thoughts on the fights and who he had winning the co-main as well as the main event. He said,
“What’s up guys I am Zlatan. Here enjoying the UFC, supporting Khamzat. Main event, I think I have Islam there. So, just enjoying. Let’s hope for a great show. And I hope you all enjoy it.”
The 42-year-old soccer star’s presence had not gone unnoticed. In his post-fight interview, ‘Borz’ specifically thanked Ibrahimovic for his support. He said,
“Zlatan, thank you, brother you came to support me.” (3:30 – 3:33)
The UAE middleweight fighter later clicked a picture with his team, which also featured Zlatan. He posted the picture on his Instagram handle and thanked his team. He wrote:
“I want to say thankyou to my team, we did it again Alhamdulillah”
View this post on Instagram
The post also got a positive reaction from Algerian-French music producer, DJ Snake.
Unfortunately, despite an impressive, there is a cause for concern among fans and the UFC as well regarding Khamzat Chimaev.
Fracture to delay Chimaev’s return to the UFC?
After the fight against Usman, Chimaev was quick to share in an interview with TNT Sports that he felt he had broken his hand in the first round itself. At this point in time, there are no reports confirming the same. However, during the fight, Chimaev did slow down considerably during the second and third rounds.
The UFC will be aiming to get Chimaev a title shot against Strickland as soon as possible. Unfortunately, if Chimaev has indeed fractured his hand, he will be out for a while. Given how active Strickland is as a fighter, it is possible that Chimaev could get passed on by the likes of Dricus Du Plessis or Jared Cannonier for a title shot.
Both the UFC as well as fans will be hoping that Chimaev can get back to the UFC as soon as possible and challenge Strickland for UFC gold.
