Khamzat Chimaev Finally Breaks Silence on UFC Saudi Arabia Withdrawal as Retirement Woes Mount After Food Poisoning

Khamzat Chimaev has found himself in a tough spot after he had to pull out of the UFC Saudi Fight Night against Robert Whittaker. His manager, Majdi Shammas, claimed that he’d been suffering from a “persistent illness,” but ‘Borz’ did not shed any light on that situation until now. The undefeated Chimaev recently took to Instagram with a message amidst his ongoing medical issues.

In 2020, Khamzat Chimaev fought three times and was going to go for a fourth one when medical complications due to COVID-19 halted his plans. Since then, he has slowed down a little, first for failing to get booked, and now he has had to pull out due to medical issues. This raises the question of whether Chimaev’s done fighting. Well, apparently, the Emirati star is still optimistic about his chances of continuing fighting in the future.

Khamzat Chimaev shares a message after the UFC Saudi pullout

When UFC Saudi Arabia’s main event got scrapped, Majdi Shammas released a statement claiming that Khamzat Chimaev had been struggling with illness since the beginning of the fight camp. Hence, he claimed that stepping inside the Octagon against someone like Robert Whittaker would have been unwise for ‘Borz’s team to give him the green and fight in such a condition.

Later, as per reports, the revelation was made that Khamzat Chimaev suffered some kind of food poisoning that led him to such a tough medical predicament. Fellow Chechen fighter Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov reported this finding to the Russian media outlet Ushatayka recently. But it seems that Chimaev is recovering well, as he shared a message with his fans and followers.

Claiming that whatever happens is God’s plan, Khamzat Chimaev wrote, “We always plan something but Allah has his own plans for us! Alhamdulilah,” in a recent post on Instagram. He shared a picture with the caption of him sitting on a quad bike and enjoying the view of the prairie.

However, the undefeated star did not share any update on his current condition, but after looking at what he had to say, it’s tough to say that his career is over because even Majdi Shammas confirmed it as well.

Chimaev’s manager claims he’s not going to retire

Yes, the talk about Khamzat Chimaev retiring from MMA has been taking place in the MMA community because of his endless health struggles since the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people thought this pullout might be it for the Chechnyan-born Emirati fighter. But guess what? It’s not over for Chimaev, as Majdi Shammas opened up about it in a short interview with another Russian media outlet, TASS.

“Khamzat has no intentions of retiring,” stated Majid Shammas, putting all those retirement rumors to bed. And why not? Khamzat Chimaev is still young and probably has yet to hit his prime as a fighter, although he once considered retiring from MMA back in 2020 during the pandemic. But until he gets back to his normal routine, we can’t assume what lies ahead in his future.

What do you make of Khamzat Chimaev’s recent statement? Do you think he’s coming back, even though his manager claims he isn’t retired? Drop your comments below.