Khamzat Chimaev Reveals He Had Surgery to Combat COVID-19 Symptoms

UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev spoke to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto following a rather difficult period in his professional and personal life. ‘Borz’ has been out of commission for several months with multiple fight cancelations after suffering the effects of COVID-19. After being rid of the actual virus itself, Chimaev spent several more months suffering from its after-effects.

Khamzat Chimaev had multiple fights against Leon Edwards pulled after failing to show up in good enough health. What’s more, he lost the momentum he had accrued by being the ‘2020 Fighter of the Year’. It’s safe to say that very few fighters suffered the brunt of being sidelined by COVID-19, much as Khamzat Chimaev did.

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Khamzat Chimaev talks about his return to combat

The Swedish-Russian fighter spoke to ESPN and revealed that he was on the mend from his maladies and was planning a comeback. With a targeted month in sight, it’s a given that Chimaev is prepared to steal the limelight once more. Additionally, he also detailed his struggles with the virus and revealed that he had to undergo surgery just to bounce back properly.

‘Borz’ said, “I’m good now, I’m healthy. Doing training here in Chechnya, my country…After Ramadan, I’m going to start like 100%. I think I’m going to be ready in August to Smash somebody… Now I feel good, smash back, surprise surprise.”

“I’m feeling pain in my lungs, I feel pain there. Blood like come out sometimes. Think too much like when I’m going to be healthy, when I’m going to be able to fight…That make me like that post I did like ‘Ah, maybe it’s finished for me’ like that…I did surgery and they took out some stuff, like I don’t know how to explain in English. Now I feel much better, I can’t wait more, just start to train with my team and find somebody to kill.”

It’s rather harrowing to hear the extent to which Chimaev had to go in order to make a proper recovery. The MMA community hopes to see him return at 100% as he will be immediately thrust into the shark tank at 170-pounds or at 185 pounds. There are several fights out there for him, and a line back to the title will be of paramount importance.