Khamzat Chimaev has been hit with some ‘cinderblocks’ in the past few months with sickness, fight withdrawal and even rumors of being banned from entering the United States. The UFC had reportedly eyed ‘Borz’ to headline UFC 300. However, Chimaev was unable to enter the States due to his associations with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. For the unversed, he has not competed in the UFC’s primary market since UFC 279. 

The UFC frequently schedules Chimaev for events in the UAE, likely due to his massive fan base in the Middle East. However, ‘Borz’ had to pull out of a highly anticipated bout against Robert Whittaker, which was slated to take place at UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia, leaving fans wondering about his absence from U.S. events.

The UFC middleweight contender recently put to rest rumors in an interview with Shakiel Mahjouri. Chimaev addressed the speculation directly, clarifying his situation and dismissing the claims. He stated, “I don’t think so the people see a lot of different shit**y things you know I have been in the USA and can come to the US but a lot of shi * things happened in my life being sick, surgeries you know so that is why I am being fighting not like they did before so and all the time. And Abu Dhabi being close to me when I had the chance I jump in and fight here so I’ve been in England I’ve been in the UK, US, and I am going to go to Australia in December. Don’t know can be anywhere so I don’t know who has the problem with me.”

He has previously spoken about the same thing to Aslanbek Badaev stating, “They got me the visa when they wanted it. Everyone says I was denied a visa. So far we have not applied for a visa. I was told to wait and fight in Arab countries for now. And I’m waiting and as everyone remembers, recently at UFC 300 I was offered a fight to perform in Las Vegas. The main event of the evening was against Leon Edwards. Then they could get me a visa so I could fight there. When needed, business is working one might say.”

Chimaev has faced a string of health issues, forcing him to adapt his training regimen. His immunity has taken a significant hit, leading to hospital visits for severe headaches and vomiting. Despite recovering, a new hurdle has emerged, delaying his long-awaited fight against ‘The Reaper’.

Khamzat Chimaev pushed down in rankings after a change in the rules

UFC CEO Dana White has publicly criticized the promotion’s rankings, citing Khalil Rountree’s lack of deserved recognition. In response, a new middleweight ranking has been released. Anthony Hernandez, a recent UFC Vegas 99 winner, has surpassed Khamzat Chimaev, moving to the #12 position. This is a significant development for Chimaev, who now faces the #3 ranked Whittaker.

Chimaev’s upcoming fight in Abu Dhabi is crucial for his middleweight title aspirations. A loss could jeopardize his championship dreams. While in conversation with the media during the DWCS presser, the UFC CEO said that this alteration was needed in the UFC ranking system.

White said, “If you look at who Pereira has beat, right? And how he has beaten him leading up to this fight. He was winning on the scorecards when he got stopped. He was the head on the scorecards. Stayed in the pocket, put up one of the greatest fights anybody has ever seen, and stayed at number #8… I can’t handle the incompetence. I can’t take it anymore. It’s driving me crazy.”

This is not the first time that the MMA community has seen discrepancies with official fighter rankings. Naturally, the UFC President also stated that AI would be incorporated for a more accurate ranking system so that the fighters got their deserving positions. However, this spells trouble for ‘Borz’ at the moment because he is #13. What are your views on UFC’s current system of rankings? Do you think Chimaev can slay ‘The Reaper’ and get a title shot? Tell us in the comment section below!