Why Did Dana White Have to Convince Khamzat Chimaev to Not Retire?

UFC has perhaps found another cash cow in Khamzat Chimaev. The Russian-Swedish sensation has been pulling astonishing numbers on the promotion’s social site as well as his own. Any card he has taken part in, since his UFC debut-year, has been all about him.

His story in the UFC has been nothing short of a fairy tale. The young sensation was a debutant on the first Fight Island card. After competing twice in 10 days and defeating two opponents in two weight classes, he became a star in less than a month in the promotion.

After the quick rise in promotion, ‘Borz‘ suffered from Covid-19 and its lingering effects. Subsequently, Chimaev had a tough time recovering from it.

Is Khamzat Chimaev retiring from UFC?

His early rise and three consecutive finishes impressed Dana White so much that they put him against Leon Edwards. However, the bout had many hurdles as both fighters pulled out of the fight; The bout was booked multiple times.

After Chimaev had to withdraw from UFC Vegas 21 on March 13 from a highly anticipated bout against the top welterweight contender, Leon Edwards, the Russian MMA prodigy contemplated retirement.

“I think I’m done,” ‘Borz’ had said in a now-deleted post, “It may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything.”

What did Dana White say about Khamzat Chimaev’s retirement?

Khamzat Chimaev’s retirement announcement came as a surprise for many, including UFC President Dana White. However, unlike others, he had the privilege of talking to the fighter and knowing the details of his situation.

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White got into the depth of what happened. The UFC President said, “He’s not supposed to be training, but you know, this guy’s a savage. He wants to fight like every f**king weekend, and now he can’t even train, so he just got emotional and posted that, but he ain’t quitting.” 

The lingering Covid-19 symptoms put ‘The Wolf’ on medication, and he had to take a rest. However, Chimaev, who is known for his grueling training regime, didn’t stop training.

White and the UFC constantly help ‘Borz’ to continue fighting. Even Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov asked Chimaev to continue with his MMA career.

What is Khamzat Chimaev stats?

Khamzat Chimaev is an undefeated mixed martial artist. The Russian has a strong wrestling-heavy style and has stacked 10 dominant wins. His UFC record stands at 4-0. Also, important to note that he has earned these wins at welterweight and middleweight combined (a couple of them in each).

‘Borz’ is a finisher and hence, for his definitive performances, he has received four post-fight performance bonuses.

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Even before coming to the UFC, ‘Borz’ has finished all of his fights. He has always been an exciting, high-paced fighter who always looks to finish the fight.

When will Khamzat Chimaev fight next?

Khamzat Chimaev’s next fight will be against the number 2 welterweight contender Gilbert Burns on April 09 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States at UFC 273.

The matchup would be one of the toughest tests of Chimaev’s career, as he would face a top ten opponent for the first time in his UFC career. Should he win this bout, he could see himself against the pound for pound king, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare‘.