Khamzat Chimaev is a professional mixed martial artist known for his meteoric rise in the UFC. Born in Chechnya and representing the United Arab Emirates, he has gained immense recognition for his dominant grappling, relentless wrestling, and explosive finishing ability. Chimaev initially made headlines by securing multiple dominant victories in an exceptionally short timeframe, showcasing rare versatility across the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Often described as a highly dangerous prospect, he quickly established himself as a top contender within the organization. Despite facing challenges with inactivity due to health issues and visa complications, his undefeated professional record and imposing physical style have made him one of the most talked-about and feared fighters in modern MMA. He remains a prominent figure in the sport, consistently linked to high-profile matchups and title contention.
18 April 2026: Signing with Real American Freestyle
On 18 April 2026, during the broadcast of RAF 08, it was officially announced that Khamzat Chimaev had signed a contract with the organization Real American Freestyle.
19 November 2021: Freestyle wrestling match against Jack Hermansson
On 19 November 2021, Khamzat Chimaev secured a victory on points against fellow UFC fighter Jack Hermansson during a freestyle wrestling exhibition at the Bulldog Fight Night 9 event held in Sweden.
May 1994: Birth of Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev was born in May 1994 in Gvardeyskoye, Chechen Republic, Russia, into a conservative Muslim Chechen family.
2016: Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold
In 2016, Khamzat Chimaev achieved a career milestone by winning a gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships in the 86-kilogram weight class.
September 2017: First Amateur MMA Fight Victory
In September 2017, Khamzat Chimaev engaged in his first amateur MMA fight, where he secured a victory via submission in the second round against future IMMAF World Champion Khaled Laallam.
2017: Second Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold
Building on his previous success, Chimaev successfully defended his title to win gold again at the 2017 Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 86 kilograms.
2017: Commencement of Professional MMA Career
In 2017, Khamzat Chimaev relocated to Stockholm, Sweden, to formally begin his career in mixed martial arts. Upon this move, he started training at the Allstar Training Center, transitioning from his previous training at a wrestling club in Kalmar.
April 2018: Conclusion of Amateur MMA Career
By April 2018, Chimaev had successfully completed his amateur MMA career with a perfect record of 3-0, having secured victories through submission and technical knockout in his final two bouts.
May 2018: Professional MMA Debut
On 26 May 2018, Khamzat Chimaev made his professional mixed martial arts debut at International Ring Fight Arena 14, where he secured a victory against Gard Olve Sagen via technical knockout in the second round.
August 2018: Second Professional Victory
On 18 August 2018, Khamzat Chimaev competed at Fight Club Rush 3, where he defeated Ole Magnor by submission using a rear naked choke during the first round.
November 2018: Brave CF 18 Promotional Debut
On November 16, 2018, at Brave CF 18, Khamzat Chimaev made his promotional debut for Brave Combat Federation. Although originally slated to face Benjamin Bennett, he ultimately fought Marko Kisič and secured a first-round technical knockout victory after landing a precise left hand.
December 2018: Victory over Sidney Wheeler at Brave CF 20
On December 22, 2018, at Brave CF 20, Khamzat Chimaev stepped in as a replacement for Leon Aliu to fight Sidney Wheeler. Chimaev secured a quick victory, winning via technical knockout just 35 seconds into the first round.
2018: Third Swedish Freestyle National Championship Gold
Continuing his dominant run, Chimaev secured another gold medal in 2018 at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships, this time competing in the 92-kilogram weight class.
April 2019: Brave CF 23 Welterweight Debut
On 19 April 2019, Khamzat Chimaev made his debut in the welterweight division at Brave CF 23, where he defeated Ikram Aliskerov via a first-round knockout with an uppercut. This impressive victory earned him the Knockout of the Night award.
June 2019: Alexander Gustafsson Praises Khamzat Chimaev
In June 2019, during a press conference, veteran fighter Alexander Gustafsson publicly praised Khamzat Chimaev, identifying him as one of the most talented fighters he has ever trained with at the Allstars Training Center.
October 2019: Victory over Mzwandile Hlongwa at Brave CF 27
On October 4, 2019, Khamzat Chimaev competed in his fourth promotional fight at Brave CF 27, where he successfully defeated Mzwandile Hlongwa by way of submission during the second round.
April 2020: Cancellation of BCF Welterweight Championship Bout
In April 2020, the highly anticipated BCF Welterweight Championship fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Jarrah Al-Selawe, scheduled for Brave CF 37 in Stockholm, was cancelled. The event was initially postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the matchup was later officially scrapped when Chimaev transitioned to the UFC.
July 2020: Victory over Rhys McKee at UFC on ESPN 14
On 25 July 2020, at UFC on ESPN 14, Khamzat Chimaev secured a first-round technical knockout victory against newcomer Rhys McKee, earning his second Performance of the Night bonus and setting a modern UFC record for the fastest consecutive wins.
July 2020: UFC Promotional Debut and Performance of the Night
On July 16, 2020, Khamzat Chimaev made his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 13, facing John Phillips in a middleweight bout as a late replacement for Duško Todorović. Chimaev secured a submission victory in the second round, a performance that resulted in him receiving the Performance of the Night award.
September 2020: Victory at UFC Fight Night 178
On September 19, 2020, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Gerald Meerschaert via a first-round knockout in just 17 seconds. This victory, occurring at UFC Fight Night 178, secured his third consecutive Performance of the Night award and established a new record for the fastest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC history, spanning only 66 days.
December 2020: Multiple fight cancellations and rescheduling due to health issues
Throughout December 2020, the scheduled bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards faced multiple disruptions; after testing positive for COVID-19 in late November, the fight was postponed from December 19, 2020, to January 20, 2021, only for Chimaev to withdraw on December 29, 2020, due to ongoing recovery issues.
January 2021: Planned return to the octagon
In January 2021, specifically on January 20, 2021, the UFC Fight Night 185 event was initially slated to feature the showdown between Chimaev and Edwards before it was ultimately cancelled due to Chimaev's health struggles.
March 2021: Temporary Retirement Announcement and Retraction
On March 1, 2021, Khamzat Chimaev announced his retirement from MMA on Instagram citing health complications resulting from COVID-19. However, UFC President Dana White quickly clarified that Chimaev was not actually retired, attributing the announcement to emotional distress caused by the side effects of the medication prednisone.
October 2021: Victory over Li Jingliang at UFC 267
On 30 October 2021, at the UFC 267 event, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Li Jingliang via a first-round technical submission using a rear-naked choke. This triumph secured Chimaev his fourth consecutive Performance of the Night award.
April 2022: UFC 273 Bout Against Gilbert Burns
On April 9, 2022, at UFC 273, Khamzat Chimaev secured a unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Burns, marking the first time in his professional career he went to a decision. This performance was recognized as the Fight of the Night and also earned him first place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night, both occurring on this date.
September 2022: UFC 279 Weight Miss and Bout Shift
On September 10, 2022, Khamzat Chimaev failed to make the required weight for his originally scheduled welterweight main event against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. Consequently, he was reassigned to a 180-pound catchweight bout against Kevin Holland, which Chimaev won via D'Arce Choke in the first round.
2022: Collaboration and training partnership with Darren Till
In 2022, Khamzat Chimaev established a collaborative training partnership with UFC title challenger Darren Till. Till arrived in Stockholm in February 2022 to train alongside Chimaev at the Allstars Training Center, and the pair began producing joint media content for platforms including YouTube and Blockasset.
October 2023: Chimaev's Victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 294
On October 21, 2023, at UFC 294, Khamzat Chimaev made his return to the middleweight division after a year-long absence. Originally set to face Paulo Costa, Chimaev instead competed against former UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman due to Costa's injury-related withdrawal. Chimaev ultimately secured a victory by way of a majority decision.
June 2024: Withdrawal from UFC on ABC 6
On June 2024, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6, but he was forced to withdraw from the match due to an unexpected illness and was subsequently replaced by Ikram Aliskerov.
August 2025: UFC Middleweight Championship Victory
On 16 August 2025 at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision to become the UFC Middleweight Champion. This victory also secured him his sixth Performance of the Night award.
May 2026: UFC Middleweight Ranking Achievement
As of 12 May 2026, Khamzat Chimaev reached the #1 position in the Meta UFC middleweight rankings, solidifying his standing in the division.
May 2026: UFC 328 Title Defense Against Sean Strickland
On 9 May 2026, Khamzat Chimaev competed in his first title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328. Chimaev lost the bout via a split decision, marking the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career despite 13 out of 24 media outlets scoring the fight in his favor.
June 2026: UFC Pound-for-Pound Ranking Update
As of 23 June 2026, Khamzat Chimaev was officially ranked #12 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings, reflecting his competitive status among all weight classes.
June 2026: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dillon Danis at RAF 10
On 13 June 2026, Khamzat Chimaev competed in the main event of RAF 10, facing Dillon Danis in a 205 lb Catchweight bout. Chimaev successfully defeated Danis via pinfall.
26 October 2024: Victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308
On 26 October 2024, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Robert Whittaker via a first-round face-crank submission at UFC 308, an event which caused Whittaker to suffer a dislocated jaw and earned Chimaev a Performance of the Night award.
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