History of Khamzat Chimaev in Timeline
Khamzat Chimaev is a Russian and Emirati professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler, currently competing in the UFC's Middleweight division. He is a three-time Swedish national champion in freestyle wrestling. As of October 29, 2024, Chimaev is ranked #3 in the UFC middleweight rankings, solidifying his position as a top contender in the sport.
May 1, 1994: Chimaev's Birth
On May 1, 1994, Khamzat Chimaev was born to a Chechen family in the village of Gvardeyskoye, Chechnya, Russia. He also began wrestling at the age of five.
May 1994: Khamzat Chimaev Born
In May 1994, Khamzat Khizarovich Chimaev was born. He is a Russian and Emirati professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler.
2013: Emigration to Sweden
In 2013, at the age of 18, Khamzat Chimaev emigrated to Sweden with his mother to join his older brother.
2016: Swedish Freestyle National Championship
In 2016, Chimaev won a gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 86 kilograms.
September 2017: First Amateur MMA Fight
In September 2017, Chimaev had his first amateur MMA fight against Khaled Laallam, winning by submission in the second round.
2017: Second Swedish Freestyle National Championship
In 2017, Chimaev won another gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 86 kilograms.
2017: Start of MMA Career in Stockholm
In 2017, Khamzat Chimaev moved to Stockholm to begin his MMA career, training at Allstar Training Center after previously training in Kalmar.
April 2018: Final Amateur MMA Fight
In April 2018, Chimaev completed his amateur MMA career with a record of 3-0.
May 2018: Professional MMA Debut
In May 2018, Khamzat Chimaev made his professional MMA debut at International Ring Fight Arena 14, defeating Gard Olve Sagen via TKO in the second round.
August 2018: Second Professional Fight
In August 2018, Khamzat Chimaev had his second professional fight against Ole Magnor at Fight Club Rush 3, winning via submission in the first round.
November 2018: Brave CF Debut
In November 2018, Chimaev made his Brave Combat Federation debut against Marko Kisič, winning via TKO in the first round.
December 2018: Brave CF 20 Win
In December 2018, Chimaev defeated Sidney Wheeler via TKO in 35 seconds at Brave CF 20.
2018: Third Swedish Freestyle National Championship
In 2018, Chimaev won a gold medal at the Swedish Freestyle National Championships at 92 kilograms.
April 2019: Welterweight Debut and Knockout of the Night
In April 2019, Chimaev made his welterweight debut at Brave CF 23, defeating Ikram Aliskerov via knockout in the first round, earning him the "Knockout of the Night" award.
June 2019: Training with Gustafsson
In June 2019, Alexander Gustafsson said during a press conference that Chimaev was one of the best fighters he had ever trained with.
October 2019: Brave CF 27 Victory
In October 2019, Chimaev defeated Mzwandile Hlongwa via submission in the second round at Brave CF 27.
April 2020: Brave CF 37 Postponement
In April 2020, Chimaev's scheduled fight against Jarrah Al-Selawe for the BCF Welterweight Championship at Brave CF 37 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2020: UFC Debut and Performance of the Night
In July 2020, Khamzat Chimaev made his UFC debut at UFC on ESPN 13, defeating John Phillips via submission in the second round and earning a "Performance of the Night" award.
July 2020: UFC Win and Record
In July 2020, just ten days after his UFC debut, Chimaev defeated Rhys McKee via TKO at UFC on ESPN 14, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus and setting a new UFC record for fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history.
September 2020: Third Straight Performance of the Night
In September 2020, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Gerald Meerschaert via knockout in 17 seconds at UFC Fight Night 178, 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
In December 2020, Chimaev contracted COVID-19, leading to lingering symptoms and the cancellation of his scheduled fight against Leon Edwards.
January 2021: Fight Postponed
In January 2021, Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of the fight against Leon Edwards due to ongoing COVID-19 recovery issues.
March 2021: Brief Retirement Announcement
In March 2021, Chimaev announced his retirement from MMA due to lung complications from COVID-19, but Dana White later clarified that he was not retired.
March 2021: Kadyrov's Influence
In March 2021, Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly convinced Chimaev not to retire, raising media speculation.
October 2021: UFC 267 Victory and Performance of the Night
In October 2021, Chimaev returned to face Li Jingliang at UFC 267, winning via technical submission in the first round and earning his fourth "Performance of the Night" award.
November 2021: Freestyle Wrestling Match Win
In November 2021, Chimaev competed against Jack Hermansson in a freestyle wrestling match at Bulldog Fight Night 9 and won on points.
March 2022: Criticism for Association with Kadyrov
In March 2022, Chimaev faced criticism from Chechen dissidents for his continued association with Ramzan Kadyrov.
April 2022: UFC 273 Victory and Fight of the Night
In April 2022, Chimaev defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 via unanimous decision, earning "Fight of the Night" and first place in the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night award.
May 2022: Marriage
On May 21, 2022, Chimaev got married in Chechnya, with Kadyrov attending the wedding.
September 2022: UFC 279 Weight Miss and Victory
In September 2022, Chimaev missed weight for his scheduled fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. As a result, he instead faced Kevin Holland at a catchweight bout and won via D'Arce choke in the first round.
2022: Training with Darren Till
In 2022, Chimaev and Darren Till began training together at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm.
2022: Training Kadyrov's Sons
In 2022, Chimaev began training Ramzan Kadyrov's teenage sons, Zelimkhan (Ali) and Adam.
October 2023: UFC 294 Victory
In October 2023, Chimaev returned to middleweight at UFC 294, defeating Kamaru Usman via majority decision after Paulo Costa pulled out due to surgery.
2023: Move to the UAE
In 2023, Khamzat Chimaev moved to the United Arab Emirates.
June 2024: Withdrawal from Whittaker Fight
In June 2024, Chimaev was scheduled to face Robert Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6, but he was forced to withdraw 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 Victory and Performance of the Night
On October 26, 2024, Chimaev defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 via face-crank submission in the first round, resulting in a dislocated jaw and earning another "Performance of the Night" award.
January 2025: UAE Citizenship
In January 2025, Chimaev received citizenship from United Arab Emirates.
