Dana White touted Khamzat Chimaev as the next big star when he first broke into the UFC in 2020. Many even suggested that the two-weight contender would eventually become a two or three-weight champion. ‘Borz’ has showed absolute dominance in his first three octagon octagon appearances. However, beginning with his COVID-19 infection in 2020, Chimaev’s health has failed time and time again, causing the Chechen fighter to pull out of major fights, and take a backseat in the sport. This is a sharp contrast to the fighter who fought twice in 10 days when he joined the UFC.

Chimaev pulled out of his booking with Robert Whittaker in June due to severe health complications. On being asked by Kevin Iole about whether he missed his days as an active fighter, Chimaev said the following, “Of course, I want to see [myself] fight. I want to go in the cage, [it excites me]. Yeah, of course [I miss fighting frequently]”. Chimaev also alluded to his sickness contributing to his then-declining mental health, saying, “When you’re sick you can’t think [like how you normally do]. Weird things come [into] your mind. A lot of s**t, you know? But now, I’m healthy, happy and [with a] different mindset, you know?”

After three spectacular performances in 2020, Chimaev fell severely ill with the Coronavirus. His infection was so severe that it might have caused long-term damage to his immunity. The effects of the illness and its implications on his fighting career weighed heavily on ‘Borz’, causing him to go into depression. We can  infer this from the fact that he even announced his retirement during the COVID-19 era, only for him to later delete the post.

After multiple failed bookings with former welterweight champion Leon Edwards, ‘Borz’ fought four times from 2021 to 2023. Though victorious in all four bouts, Chimaev wasn’t able to finish Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. Furthermore, his inability to make weight at UFC 279 due to health complications led many to question his ability to even compete at 170 lbs, going forward.

One could argue that Khamzat Chimaev’s biggest enemy is his own immunity. The fact that ‘Borz’ would go against the doctor’s orders to rest at the right time and not train, could also be why we have seen the Chechen fight only four times in three years. Lately, however, the Chechen-born undefeated fighter seems to have finally acknowledged his mistakes leading up to his poor health.

“That wasn’t smart from my side” – Khamzat Chimaev regrets not resting, and training during recovery from illness

‘Borz’ opened up to Kevin Iole about the conditions that led to him getting violently ill in June – “Now [we put in] a lot of work [with] smarter guys, who’ve [spent] a lot of time in sports. And they know how to work, you know? Last time I was here [in Abu Dhabi], doing the camp, it was so hot. And [I was exposed to] air conditioning. [And in training], nobody works like me, you know, so. Six hours everyday, just in the gym. And killing myself – no recovery, no rest, for two months. That’s why I got so sick”.

Chimaev then spoke about his regrets of jumping back into training without having adequately rested, with, “I’ve been in the hospital many times. And when I came out, I couldn’t wait [to train]. I went to the gym again. So, that wasn’t smart. Now, we work a different way”. ‘Borz’ spoke about spending his UFC 308 training camp at an Olympic training facility in Mount Elbrus, Russia. Training at a high elevation can definitely help Chimaev with his cardio and conditioning. Gilbert Burns really tested his conditioning when they met at UFC 273. He also struggled to finish Kamaru Usman, who started finding his rhythm in the third round at UFC 294.

Why do you think Khamzat Chimaev’s health has failed numerous times? Do you think he will make the way to the octagon against Robert Whittaker this Saturday? Let us know in the comments below.