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. He is a three-time Swedish national champion in freestyle wrestling. As of October 2024, he holds the #3 ranking in the UFC middleweight division.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

2016: Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold Medal

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, which he won 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.

2017: Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold Medal

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

April 2018: Completion of Amateur Career

By April 2018, Khamzat Chimaev completed his amateur MMA career with a record of 3-0, having won his following two amateur fights after September 2017.

May 2018: Professional MMA Debut

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

August 2018: Fight Club Rush 3 Win

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

November 2018: Brave CF Debut and Win

On November 16, 2018, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to debut with Brave Combat Federation against Benjamin Bennett at Brave CF 18. After Bennett withdrew, Chimaev faced Marko Kisič and won via technical knockout in the first round.

December 2018: Brave CF 20 Win

On December 22, 2018, Khamzat Chimaev faced Sidney Wheeler at Brave CF 20, replacing an injured Leon Aliu, and won via technical knockout in 35 seconds of the first round.

2018: Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold Medal

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

April 2019: Brave CF 23 Win and Award

On April 19, 2019, Khamzat Chimaev fought Ikram Aliskerov at Brave CF 23, marking his welterweight debut. He won the bout via knockout in the first round and earned Brave's Knockout of the Night award.

October 2019: Brave CF 27 Win

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

April 2020: Brave CF 37 Postponement

In April 2020, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to challenge Jarrah Al-Selawe for the BCF Welterweight Championship at Brave CF 37. However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the matchup was cancelled when Chimaev signed with the UFC.

July 2020: UFC Debut and Victory

On July 16, 2020, Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC debut in a middleweight bout against John Phillips at UFC on ESPN 13, replacing Duško Todorović. He won the fight via submission in the second round and earned the Performance of the Night award.

July 2020: Fast Consecutive Win

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

September 2020: Quick Win Against Meerschaert

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

December 2020: COVID-19 Diagnosis and Ranking

In December 2020, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 183. Prior to the fight, Chimaev was added to the UFC welterweight rankings at #15. On November 29, 2020, it was announced that Chimaev had tested positive for COVID-19, putting the bout in jeopardy. On December 1, 2020, Edwards also tested positive, and the bout was postponed.

January 2021: Fight Rescheduling and Withdrawal

On December 22, 2020, the fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards was rescheduled for January 20, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 185. However, Chimaev pulled out of the contest on December 29, 2020, due to his COVID-19 recovery, momentarily cancelling the bout.

March 2021: Brief Retirement Announcement

On March 1, 2021, Khamzat Chimaev announced on Instagram that he was retiring from MMA due to lung complications caused by COVID-19. Dana White later clarified that Chimaev was not retired.

October 2021: Return to UFC and Victory at UFC 267

On October 30, 2021, Khamzat Chimaev returned to face Li Jingliang at UFC 267. He won the bout via technical submission with a rear-naked choke in round one, earning his fourth straight Performance of the Night award.

November 2021: Freestyle Wrestling Match Victory

On November 19, 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: Victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273

On April 9, 2022, Khamzat Chimaev faced Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. Chimaev won the fight via unanimous decision, marking the first decision victory of his career. The fight was awarded the Fight of the Night award and earned him first place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night award.

September 2022: UFC 279 Weight Miss and Victory

On September 10, 2022, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279. However, Chimaev weighed in at 178.5 pounds, over the welterweight non-title fight limit. He was removed from the bout with Diaz and instead faced Kevin Holland, winning via D'Arce Choke in the first round.

October 2023: Return to Middleweight and Victory at UFC 294

On October 21, 2023, after a one-year layoff, Khamzat Chimaev returned to middleweight at UFC 294. He faced Kamaru Usman, replacing Paulo Costa, and won the fight via majority decision.

June 2024: Withdrawal from UFC on ABC 6

On June 22, 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 and was replaced by Ikram Aliskerov.

October 2024: UFC Middleweight Ranking

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

October 2024: Victory at UFC 308

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