Khamzat Chimaev believes he has already done enough to secure a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown, but at least one more obstacle blocks his path to the top.
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As Chimaev moves ever closer to his forthcoming battle with Whittaker at 185 pounds, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:
1. An Emerging Force
“Borz” marked himself as a blue-chip prospect under the Brave Combat Federation banner when he punched out the previously unbeaten Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their BCF 23 attraction on April 19, 2019 at the Martyr Rashid Al-Ziyoud Hall Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan. Chimaev brought it to a close 2:26 into Round 1. With both men now viable members of the UFC roster, the result has aged quite well. Chimaev tested the waters with a few leg kicks and sat down the decorated sambo practitioner with a sharp left hook inside the first minute. They clinched along the fence and traded shots at close range before separating and floating back into open space. Soon after, Chimaev stepped into a devastating right uppercut that sent the Russian’s mouthpiece flying and left him supine and unconscious on the canvas. More than five years would pass before Aliskerov lost again.
2. First Glance
Chimaev kept his perfect professional record intact and turned in a wildly successful Octagon debut when he submitted former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion John Phillips with a brabo choke in the second of their UFC on ESPN 13 prelim on July 15, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Phillips raised the white flag 72 seconds into Round 2. A short-notice substitution for Dusko Todorovic, Chimaev was flawless. He executed a double-leg takedown after connecting with a body kick, briefly achieved full mount and settled in the top ride—a position from which he cut loose with a merciless barrage of ground-and-pound. Phillips absorbed hammerfists, elbows and punches, then returned to his corner between rounds with a sense of resignation surrounding him. Chimaev struck for another takedown inside the first 20 seconds of Round 2, peppered the SBG Ireland representative with punches and cinched the choke for the finish.
3. Laying Groundwork
The undefeated Allstars Training Center standout cut down former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Gerald Meerschaert with a crushing right cross in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 178 middleweight showcase on Sept. 19, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It was over in just 17 seconds and remains the fourth-fastest finish in the history of the UFC’s 185-pound weight class. Chimaev walked down the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, fired a body kick and corralled him along the fence. As soon as Meerschaert’s feet stopped moving, he was met with a brutal shot to the jaw that found the off switch. Chimaev managed to uncork a few more punches on his unconscious adversary before referee Mark Smith could arrive on the scene.
4. Bull Market
Chimaev boosted his stock yet again when he took a three-round unanimous decision from Kill Cliff Fight Club export Gilbert Burns in their UFC 273 welterweight feature on April 9, 2022 at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28. Chimaev decked the Brazilian with a jab late in the first round, pounced with ground-and-pound and opened a cut on his counterpart’s forehead. Undeterred, Burns responded in the middle stanza, where he connected with several thudding right hands, turned the tide in his favor and put himself in position to spring the upset. It was not to be. Round 3 brought out next-level ferocity from both men. Chimaev leaned on his potent jab, called upon the occasional uppercut and forced “Durinho” onto his back foot just enough to curry favor on the scorecards.
5. Bold Moves
The Chechnya-born Swede cleared his most significant hurdle to date when he outgrappled former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to a majority decision in their three-round UFC 294 co-main event on Oct. 21, 2013 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Judges Derek Cleary and Vito Paolillo saw it 29-27 for Chimaev, while David Lethaby scored it a 28-28 draw. Chimaev seized the reins with takedowns and an asphyxiating top game. He was at his best in the first round, where he took down Usman, climbed to the back, applied his ground-and-pound and ran through a series of crank and choke attempts. None were successful, but a loud-and-clear message had been sent. The pace slowed to a crawl in the middle stanza, then picked up again in the third. Usman—a late replacement for Paulo Costa—strung together punching combinations, got busy with his jab and threw in a few front kicks. However, Chimaev secured another takedown midway through the round and consolidated his efforts with positional control and occasional punches.