Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Khamzat Chimaev

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Khamzat Chimaev made an impact.

Khamzat Chimaev is a Russian-born professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler who competes in the UFC's Middleweight division. A three-time Swedish national freestyle wrestling champion, Chimaev has quickly risen in the UFC ranks. As of late 2024, he is ranked #3 in the UFC middleweight division and #14 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings as of mid 2025, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the sport.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2016: Swedish Freestyle National Championship

In 2016, Khamzat Chimaev won a gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 86 kilograms.

September 2017: First Amateur MMA Fight

In September 2017, Khamzat Chimaev had his first amateur MMA fight against Khaled Laallam, winning via submission in the second round.

2017: Move to Allstar Training Center

In 2017, Khamzat Chimaev moved to Allstar Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden, to start his MMA career, after training at a local wrestling club in Kalmar.

2017: Swedish Freestyle National Championship

In 2017, Khamzat Chimaev won a gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 86 kilograms.

April 2018: Final Amateur MMA Fight

In April 2018, Khamzat Chimaev completed his amateur career with a record of 3-0 after winning his last two amateur fights.

May 2018: Professional MMA Debut

On 26 May 2018, Khamzat Chimaev made his professional MMA debut at International Ring Fight Arena 14, defeating Gard Olve Sagen via technical knockout in the second round.

August 2018: Fight Club Rush 3 Win

On 18 August 2018, Khamzat Chimaev fought Ole Magnor at Fight Club Rush 3 and won via submission with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

November 2018: Brave CF Debut Win

In November 2018, Khamzat Chimaev made his Brave Combat Federation debut at Brave CF 18 against Marko Kisič, winning via technical knockout in the first round.

December 2018: Brave CF 20 Win

On 22 December 2018, Khamzat Chimaev fought Sidney Wheeler at Brave CF 20, winning via technical knockout in 35 seconds of the first round.

2018: Swedish Freestyle National Championship

In 2018, Khamzat Chimaev won a gold medal at 92 kilograms at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships.

April 2019: Brave CF 23 Win and Award

On 19 April 2019, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Ikram Aliskerov at Brave CF 23 via knockout in the first round, earning Brave's Knockout of the Night award.

October 2019: Brave CF 27 Win

On 4 October 2019, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Mzwandile Hlongwa at Brave CF 27 via submission in the second round.

April 2020: Cancelled BCF Welterweight Championship Fight

In April 2020, Khamzat Chimaev was expected to challenge Jarrah Al-Selawe for the BCF Welterweight Championship at Brave CF 37, but the event was postponed and later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to Chimaev signing with the UFC.

July 2020: UFC Debut and Win

On 16 July 2020, Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC debut at UFC on ESPN 13 against John Phillips, winning via submission in the second round and earning the Performance of the Night award.

July 2020: Fast Consecutive Win Record

On 25 July 2020, just ten days after his UFC debut, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Rhys McKee at UFC on ESPN 14 via technical knockout in the first round, earning his second Performance of the Night bonus and setting a new UFC record for the fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history (ten days).

September 2020: Fastest Three Fight Winning Streak

On 19 September 2020, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 178 via knockout in 17 seconds of round one, earning his third straight Performance of the Night award and a new record for the fastest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC history (66 days).

December 2020: Initial COVID-19 Diagnosis and Fight Cancellation

In December 2020, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Leon Edwards, but after testing positive for COVID-19 on 29 November, the fight at UFC Fight Night 183 was jeopardized and later postponed.

January 2021: Rescheduled Fight Cancellation

In January 2021, the bout against Leon Edwards, initially scheduled for December 2020, was rescheduled for 20 January at UFC Fight Night 185, but Chimaev pulled out on 29 December due to his COVID-19 recovery, resulting in the cancellation of the fight.

October 2021: UFC 267 Win

On 30 October 2021, Khamzat Chimaev returned to face Li Jingliang at UFC 267, winning via technical submission in the first round and earning his fourth straight Performance of the Night award.

November 2021: Freestyle Wrestling Match Win

On 19 November 2021, Khamzat Chimaev competed against Jack Hermansson in a freestyle wrestling match at Bulldog Fight Night 9 in Sweden and won on points.

April 2022: UFC 273 Win

On 9 April 2022, Khamzat Chimaev faced Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 and won via unanimous decision, earning his first decision victory, the Fight of the Night award, and first place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night award.

September 2022: UFC 279 Fight and Catchweight Bout Win

In September 2022, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279 but missed weight. As a result, he faced Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight bout, winning via D'Arce Choke in the first round.

October 2023: UFC 294 Win

On 21 October 2023, after a one-year layoff, Khamzat Chimaev returned to middleweight at UFC 294, originally scheduled to fight Paulo Costa but instead faced Kamaru Usman, winning via majority decision.

June 2024: UFC on ABC 6 Fight Cancellation

In June 2024, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6, but he was forced to pull out due to an illness.

October 2024: UFC Middleweight Ranking

As of October 2024, Khamzat Chimaev is ranked #3 in the UFC middleweight division.

October 2024: UFC 308 Win and Performance of the Night Award

On 26 October 2024, Khamzat Chimaev faced Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, winning the fight via face-crank submission in the first round, dislocating Whittaker's jaw and earning another Performance of the Night award.