Khamzat Chimaev Believes He Suffered Broken Hand in Round 1 Against Kamaru Usman

Khamzat Chimaev might not have been at 100% for the majority of his fight against Kamaru Usman in the UFC 294 co-main event.

After a dominant opening stanza, Chimaev held on for a hard-fought majority decision triumph over the former welterweight champion at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. After the victory, “Borz” told ESPN that he believes he broke his hand in the opening frame.

"First round, I think I broke my hand and finger," Chimaev said. "I couldn't punch hard with right hand. My right hand is a big weapon. When you can't use it, it's hard to work.”

Chimaev, who was making his 185-pound debut, is expected to receive a title shot against Sean Strickland by virtue of his win over Usman. First, the undefeated fighter will have to make sure his hand is good to go.

"I will check my hand," Chimaev said. "If it's good, I'm gonna try to lift the weights and be ready for the next one."