May 1994: Birth of Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev was born in May 1994 in Gvardeyskoye, Chechnya, Russia.
2013: Khamzat Chimaev Moves to Sweden
At the age of 18, Khamzat Chimaev emigrated to Sweden with his mother in 2013, joining his older brother.
2016: Khamzat Chimaev's First Swedish Freestyle National Championship
Khamzat Chimaev won his first gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships in the 86 kg weight class in 2016.
September 2017: Khamzat Chimaev's First Amateur MMA Fight
Khamzat Chimaev's amateur MMA journey began in September 2017 when he faced future IMMAF World Champion Khaled Laallam, winning by submission in the second round.
2017: Start of MMA Training at Allstar Training Center
In 2017, Chimaev began training at Allstar Training Center in Stockholm, Sweden to pursue an MMA career.
2017: Khamzat Chimaev's Second Swedish Freestyle National Championship
Khamzat Chimaev secured his second consecutive gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships in the 86 kg category in 2017.
April 2018: Khamzat Chimaev's Last Amateur MMA Fight
Khamzat Chimaev concluded his amateur MMA career with a 3-0 record in April 2018, winning one fight by submission and another by technical knockout.
May 2018: Khamzat Chimaev's Professional MMA Debut
Khamzat Chimaev made his professional MMA debut against Gard Olve Sagen at International Ring Fight Arena 14 in May 2018, securing a TKO victory in the second round.
August 2018: Khamzat Chimaev's Second Professional MMA Fight
In his second professional MMA bout, Khamzat Chimaev faced Ole Magnor at Fight Club Rush 3 in August 2018, winning via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
November 2018: Khamzat Chimaev's Brave CF Debut
Khamzat Chimaev made his debut with Brave Combat Federation against Marko Kisič at Brave CF 18 in November 2018, winning by technical knockout in the first round.
December 2018: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sidney Wheeler
Khamzat Chimaev fought Sidney Wheeler at Brave CF 20 in December 2018, winning by TKO just 35 seconds into the first round.
2018: Khamzat Chimaev's Third Swedish Freestyle National Championship
Khamzat Chimaev achieved a third consecutive victory at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships, this time in the 92 kg division, in 2018.
April 2019: Khamzat Chimaev's Welterweight Debut and Knockout of the Night
Khamzat Chimaev made his welterweight debut against Ikram Aliskerov at Brave CF 23 in April 2019, securing a knockout victory in the first round and earning the Brave's Knockout of the Night award.
June 2019: Alexander Gustafsson Praises Khamzat Chimaev
During a press conference in June 2019, Alexander Gustafsson, a training partner of Khamzat Chimaev, highly praised Chimaev's skills, calling him one of the best fighters he had trained with.
October 2019: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Mzwandile Hlongwa
Khamzat Chimaev fought Mzwandile Hlongwa at Brave CF 27 in October 2019, winning by submission in the second round.
April 2020: Cancelled Title Fight and UFC Signing
Khamzat Chimaev's scheduled welterweight title fight against Jarrah Al-Selawe at Brave CF 37 in April 2020 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later cancelled as Chimaev signed with the UFC.
July 2020: Khamzat Chimaev's UFC Debut and Performance of the Night
Khamzat Chimaev debuted in the UFC against John Phillips at UFC on ESPN 13 in July 2020, winning by submission in the second round and earning the Performance of the Night award.
July 2020: Khamzat Chimaev's Record-Breaking UFC Win and Performance of the Night
Khamzat Chimaev faced Rhys McKee at UFC on ESPN 14 in July 2020, winning by TKO in the first round and earning his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus. This victory marked a new UFC record for the fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history (ten days).
September 2020: Khamzat Chimaev's Fastest Three-Fight Winning Streak in Modern UFC History
Khamzat Chimaev fought Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 178 in September 2020, winning by knockout in just 17 seconds of the first round. This victory earned him his third straight Performance of the Night award and set a new record for the fastest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC history (66 days).
December 2020: Khamzat Chimaev Enters UFC Welterweight Rankings and Fight Cancellation
Khamzat Chimaev entered the UFC welterweight rankings at #15. His scheduled fight against Leon Edwards at UFC Fight Night 183 in December 2020 was jeopardized and later postponed due to both fighters testing positive for COVID-19.
December 2020: COVID-19 Diagnosis and Lingering Symptoms
In December 2020, Chimaev tested positive for COVID-19 and experienced prolonged symptoms that required multiple hospitalizations. His health issues led to the cancellation of a fight against Leon Edwards.
January 2021: Multiple Fight Reschedules and Cancellations
Khamzat Chimaev's fight against Leon Edwards was rescheduled multiple times due to COVID-19 related issues and eventually cancelled in January 2021 as Chimaev continued to recover.
March 2021: Khamzat Chimaev's Temporary Retirement Announcement and Retraction
Khamzat Chimaev announced his retirement from MMA in March 2021 due to lung complications from COVID-19. However, Dana White later clarified that Chimaev was not retiring but was emotional due to the effects of medication.
March 2021: Alleged Retirement Reversal Influenced by Ramzan Kadyrov
Speculation arose in March 2021 suggesting that Chimaev's decision to return to fighting and Chechnya was influenced by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
October 2021: Khamzat Chimaev's Return and Fourth Performance of the Night
Khamzat Chimaev returned to the UFC against Li Jingliang at UFC 267 in October 2021, winning by technical submission in the first round and earning his fourth Performance of the Night award.
November 2021: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Jack Hermansson Freestyle Wrestling Match
Khamzat Chimaev participated in a freestyle wrestling match against fellow UFC contender Jack Hermansson at Bulldog Fight Night 9 in Sweden, winning on points in November 2021.
March 2022: Criticism for Association with Kadyrov
Chechen dissidents voiced criticism against Chimaev in March 2022 due to his continued association with Ramzan Kadyrov and his support for the Chechen leader's repressive regime.
April 2022: Fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273
In April 2022 at UFC 273, Chimaev secured a unanimous decision victory against Gilbert Burns, marking his first career win by decision. His performance earned him the Fight of the Night award and first place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night award.
May 2022: Marriage in Chechnya
Chimaev got married in Chechnya in May 2022, with Ramzan Kadyrov present at the wedding ceremony.
September 2022: Fight against Kevin Holland at UFC 279
Originally scheduled to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279 in September 2022, Chimaev missed weight and was pitted against Kevin Holland in a catchweight bout. He won the fight in the first round via D'Arce Choke.
2022: Training of Kadyrov's Sons
In 2022, Chimaev began training Ramzan Kadyrov's teenage sons, Zelimkhan (Ali) and Adam, in MMA, even cornering Ali for his professional debut at ACA 150 in December.
2022: Training Partnership with Darren Till
Beginning in 2022, Chimaev formed a training partnership with UFC title challenger Darren Till at Allstar Training Center in Stockholm. They documented their training and created content together.
October 2023: Fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294
Chimaev returned to the middleweight division in October 2023 at UFC 294. After a planned bout against Paulo Costa fell through, he faced and defeated former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision.
2023: Relocation to the UAE and Representation Change
In 2023, Chimaev relocated to the UAE and chose to represent the country in international competitions, despite living in Sweden for an extended period.
June 2024: Khamzat Chimaev's UFC Middleweight Ranking
As of June 2024, Khamzat Chimaev was ranked #11 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
June 2024: Withdrawal from fight against Robert Whittaker
Chimaev withdrew from a scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6 in June 2024 due to illness, leading to his replacement by Ikram Aliskerov.