UFC fans may know that the undefeated middleweight, Khamzat Chimaev, is obsessed with training. Even his noted UFC light heavyweight teammate, Alexander Gustaffson, admitted that Chimaev is a freak when it comes to training. But this habit had once subjected him to what he called a near-death experience. It also had Chimaev almost declaring his retirement. But the UFC CEO, Dana White, didn’t show any concern.
The entire incident took place in the dreaded times of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Chimaev also got infected by the virus, but even after being advised to rest and recover, he kept on following his vigorous training routine. After one such training session, Chimaev reportedly coughed up some blood, which got him scared about having cancer. The fear got so much into Chimaev that he even approached pretty close to declare his retirement from the UFC.
But the UFC CEO, Dana White, probably had an idea that ‘Borz’ was only going through a temporary illness. In an interview with ‘MMA Fighting’ White implied that he never believed Chimaev will declare his retirement. White also gave out the reasons behind his belief in the interview. He said:
“He wants to fight like every f*cking weekend, and now he can’t even train, so he just got emotional and posted that, but he ain’t quitting.”
Well, The UFC CEO was apparently correct, since we still have the Chechen ruling the octagon during his fights. But most fans may know that he sustained a severe injury during his previous fight. Hence, a number of fans are also worried about his current condition.
Khamzat Chimaev is pretty close to recovering from his UFC 294 injury fully
During one of his UFC 294 post-fight press conferences, Chimaev revealed that he had probably broken his hand in the ending minutes of the first round. Still, nothing could stop him from gaining a victory against the former UFC welterweight champ, Kamaru Usman. But several fans were worried about the seriousness of ‘Borz’s’ injury since it could’ve sidelined him for even years. But, recent reports say that he is definitely making a pretty speedy recovery if not already recovered.
looks like khamzat is healed and already back in the game, this guy actually might come back stronger than ever #khamzat #KhamzatChimaev pic.twitter.com/ruH7kM0S9a
— Moey Al (@MoeyAl4) January 4, 2024
Lately, Chimaev gave out an update about his return himself. The Chechen took to his own ‘X’ account and uploaded a small video, where he was heard saying, “All good. I’m coming back soon for my belt”. It will also be exciting to witness how Chimaev plans to deal with the current middleweight champ Sean Strickland, since they have already trained together in the past.
