UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev is primed to make his return to the octagon for his eighth fight in the promotion against former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. With a win, ‘Borz’ aims to break into the Top 10 ranked contenders. Initially, this fight was scheduled for the promotion’s debut event in Saudi Arabia during the summer, however, Chimaev had to pull out due to unspecified illness. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting for the Chechen prospect to return and settle unfinished business against Whittaker.

Now, following adjustments in his approach, Khamzat Chimaev is ready to return to action next week, where he will showcase his wrestling prowess in front of the audience at the Etihad Arena. However, a question remains in the minds of fans: will they finally see ‘Borz’ square off against Robert Whittaker? This concern was reinforced by senior journalist Kevin Iole during a recent interview with Robert Whittaker, where he highlighted Khamzat Chimaev’s “infrequent” appearances lately in contrast to The Reaper’.

However, Robert Whittaker remained undeterred by the situation, even if ‘Borz’ were to pull out. Whittaker said, “Um, you know, I can’t speak on his infrequency. You know, like I’ve been infrequent as well. It’s part of the game to a degree, but I understand what I’m getting myself into.” He further appreciated Chimaev’s heavy grappling style, stating, “He’s a very high-caliber fighter; he’s very dangerous if you let him be. You know, obviously, he’s very wrestling-centric.”

This is evident in Khamzat Chimaev’s undefeated and dominant MMA record. Interestingly, he has also managed to finish the majority of his bouts in under three rounds. The Aussie ace then addressed the possibility of Chimaev pulling out of the fight, saying, “I’ve been in there with the best of them; no stone unturned, and I’m ready.” Furthermore, Chimaev’s history of illness is not the only obstacle in his path to victory, another significant challenge awaits him if he manages to step into the octagon.

UFC legend highlights Khamzat Chimaev’s endurance issues in the octagon

Khamzat Chimaev’s career is not just struggling with poor immunity but also facing a potential gas tank issue, which showcases his inability to push fights into the later rounds after 2-3 rounds. This problem was highlighted in his previous outings against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns where the Chechen wolf started to show signs of fatigue as he entered the latter stage of the bouts. This is probably why ‘Borz’ chooses to be explosive in the early rounds to avoid being caught later and slayed. Endurance is as crucial for combat sports fighters as sparring sessions, and this problem may be linked to his compromised immunity.

Recently, Anthony Smith highlighted this issue regarding Chimaev’s longevity in fights while speaking to Michael Bisping on his YouTube channel. Smith stated, “I think some of it reminds me of Khamzat a little bit, actually. I had some Khamzat comparisons where, if he could have fought at the pace he fought at for the first two rounds or two and a half rounds—if he could do that for five, he’s unstoppable. The problem is, like you said, you can’t fight like that for 25 minutes. It’s too much of an output at our size.”

With Khamzat Chimaev returning to his original coach, Salim Noutsalkhanov, who played a pivotal role in ‘Borz’s’ success during his initial wrestling career, it remains to be seen whether he will achieve similar success in the MMA realm and conquer the middleweight division. Will Chimaev finally overcome his ‘gas-tank issue’? What are your predictions for this highly anticipated middleweight clash? Tell us your views in the comment section below!