UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev’s nationality has always been a touchy subject. Even more so now since he has been removed from Russia’s pound-for-pound rankings. The decision came after Chimaev was recently granted United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizenship, polarizing the MMA world. As debates rage, the UFC middleweight contender has now come out and cleared the air.
Chimaev, who was born in Chechnya, Russia, in 1994, moved to Sweden as an 18-year-old. However, he chose to retain his Russian citizenship even while competing in Sweden. For the past couple of years, he has been based in the UAE, training and competing there.
While some Russian fans and analysts debate whether he should still be ranked among Russia’s top fighters, the middleweight contender himself appears unfazed by the decision.
During a press conference in Russia, Chimaev was asked about the removal of his name from the list by a journalist from Ushatayka, the media outlet responsible for releasing the monthly rankings based on expert votes. They questioned if he still wished to be considered a representative of Russia.
“What should I say? Let them include me in the rankings if they like. If they don’t… Well, I don’t know who decides. But I represent both Russia and the UAE,” replied Chimaev.
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Chimaev moved to Sweden in 2013 and trained there for years but claims he has never held a Swedish passport. However, with all his training and even most of his fights taking place in the UAE, it made sense for him to obtain Emirati citizenship.
Chimaev’s citizenship and nationality have also been dragged into the UFC, notably by former title contender Sean Strickland, who questioned his nationality once. The American used to train with Chimaev back in the day, and in the lead-up to his UFC 312 title fight, it seemed he had an axe to grind.
Either it was something Chimaev did to him years ago or the sheer fact that public opinion supported the Chechen fighter taking his place as the #1 contender for the middleweight title, we will never know.
However, now that Strickland has been pushed aside, thanks to a hapless performance against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312, Chimaev finds himself back in the spotlight again. That said, not everyone thinks he’s ready for it just yet.
Din Thomas doesn’t have faith in Chimaev
Many believe Chimaev, with his undefeated record and aggressive fighting style, is a future champion. He has always been touted as an unbeatable fighter and to his credit, he has managed to dominate absolutely everyone the UFC has sent to fight him inside an octagon.
Now the question remains, can he handle the champion Du Plessis’ relentless pace and durability? UFC analyst Din Thomas shared his doubts, in an interview with Ariel Helwani and said,
“Khamzat is a sprinter… You can’t fight championship-level fights for five rounds at the pace where he’s at his best. I think Dricus is so durable and he’s so smart that he’ll be able to withstand that. Now they’re swimming in deep water, and Khamzat can’t swim that deep,” said Thomas.
“Khamzat is a sprinter… You can’t fight championship level fights for 5 rounds at the pace where he’s at his best.
I think Dricus is so durable and he’s so smart that he’ll be able to withstand that. Now they’re swimming in deep water and Khamzat can’t swim that deep.”
Din… pic.twitter.com/8IGlfdcEYf
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 10, 2025
Concerns over Chimaev’s endurance have been raised before, particularly after his hard-fought decision win against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. Chimaev started strong in that fight but noticeably slowed down as the rounds progressed, leading some to believe that Du Plessis could capitalize on that weakness.
His fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 is also eerily similar. Burns survived the early grappling onslaught and then took the fight to Chimaev in a way no one thought possible. To his credit, Chimaev held his own against some top-tier striking. But Burns is not the middleweight champion with two title defenses, DDP is.
There is a world of difference between the two. For one, Du Plessis at 185 lbs is a huge man and can keep with Chimaev through pure strength. He has also repeatedly proven his ability to outlast his opponents, even when his fighting style appears chaotic.
His cardio has significantly improved since capturing the middleweight title at UFC 297, making him an even tougher nut to crack.
