Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in June but has been updated ahead of Khamzat Chimaev’s bout with Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
There was a time when, like Thanos in The Avengers film, Khamzat Chimaev was inevitable.
After bursting onto the scene in 2020 with three dominant finishes in under 10 minutes of cage time over the course of two months, the undefeated Chimaev was anointed as “the next one” and a can’t-miss prospect destined to become a future champion.
Chimaev’s performances were so convincing that many, myself included, speculated he could one day become a two-division champion and defend both the welterweight and middleweight titles simultaneously after fighting three times in just over two months to begin his UFC tenure.
In 2021, the perception around Chimaev began to change. Three separate bouts with future champion Leon Edwards were cancelled, two of which were because Chimaev contracted COVID-19, which lingered in his system resulting in multiple health episodes that had him contemplating retirement.
Chimaev had a change of heart and returned to form with a first-round finish against then-ranked welterweight Li Jingliang in late 2021.
In 2022, Chimaev faced his toughest opposition to date in former title challenger Gilbert Burns and despite finally being tested, he was able to earn a closely contested unanimous decision victory, proving he was ready for the next step.
However, instead of a step up, Chimaev was presented with a step down in competition, in Nate Diaz, who he was scheduled to headline UFC 279 against in his first main event opportunity designed to raise his profile.
Chimaev did end up fighting at UFC 279, but rather than facing Diaz, Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds and Diaz refused to accept the bout at a catchweight, which forced the UFC to pivot to Kevin Holland as his opponent, who he defeated in the first round.
After being lauded for his activity having won his first three UFC fights in 66 days, his next three fights took place over the course of more than three years and after deciding to move up to middleweight following the huge weight miss at UFC 279, he was fast-tracked to face a top middleweight contender in Abu Dhabi at UFC 294 in Paulo Costa.
However, his middleweight aspirations took a hit as Costa pulled out of the fight due to a severe staph infection 10 days before the event. Costa was replaced by former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who was making his middleweight debut on short notice.
Chimaev beat Usman, but in unconvincing fashion, which raised even more questions about his championship upside.
While he has passed every test the UFC has thrown at him when he has been able to make the walk to the cage, the questions that have been asked about his ceiling will be answered on Saturday afternoon in Abu Dhabi at UFC 308 where he is scheduled to face former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a five-round co-main event feature bout.
Chimaev had been scheduled to face Whittaker in June, but was forced to withdraw due to what UFC CEO Dana White referred to as Chimaev being “violently ill.”
Members of Chimaev’s camp had stated he had been hospitalized several times during camp and on the UFC 308 Countdown show, it was disclosed Chimaev had suffered multiple illnesses that none of his teammates had contracted in camp.
“The persistent illness that Khamzat has been battling for major parts of training camp could not be cured in time. He has been in and out of hospitals several times,” read a statement from Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas at that time.
In addition to Chimaev’s health concerns are questions surrounding his eligibility to compete in the United States, where the UFC holds the majority of their major events each year.
Chimaev has made no secret about his close ties with Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic and has even had two of Kadyrov’s sons in his corner for the bout against Usman. Chimaev recently posted a photo of himself and Kadyrov with a caption that translates to “big bro.”
Kadyrov has been sanctioned by the United States Department of State for human rights violations, which many believe is the reason that Chimaev may not be permitted to enter the United States.
Chimaev’s jiu-jitsu coach Alan Nascimento told MMAFighting that Chimaev had been granted a 10-year visa from the United Arab Emirates, which he hopes will assist in Chimaev’s travel eligibility.
More than four years after making his debut at age 26, there are more questions than answers surrounding Chimaev and whether he will ever be able to become a UFC champion.
Two years ago, Chimaev was the third-ranked welterweight contender and since then, he has two wins, including one over Usman, who was the champion of the welterweight division yet all he has to show for it is being ranked 13th at middleweight.
His career is starting to veer into “what if?” territory. What if one of the three scheduled Edwards fights had happened? What if he had made weight and was able to shine against Diaz? What if he was able to compete at some of the UFC’s tentpole events over the past two years?
Now, Chimaev needs to answer some other major “what if” questions. What if he continues to suffer from recurring health issues and cannot safely resume his career? What if he can only compete in a limited number of countries?
The rollercoaster of Chimaev’s career arc has had him go from being the talk of the town to potentially becoming an afterthought, which is a real shame considering his dominance, his upside and his marketability.
On Saturday at UFC 308, Chimaev has the opportunity to remind everyone why he was so highly touted in the first place if he is able to make a statement win over Whittaker.
What was once considered a foregone conclusion that Chimaev would be a UFC champion has become far more nuanced, but this weekend presents the latest chance for Chimaev to re-enter the conversation and at just 30 years of age, it is certainly a possibility that he can make up ground on the time lost since he initially captured the imagination of the mixed martial arts world.