Khamzat Chimaev’s Fight Future in Limbo Following Last-Minute Withdrawal Due to Illness
Khamzat Chimaev burst onto the UFC scene with a bang, delivering three electrifying performances within his first two months. However, his meteoric rise has since been plagued by inactivity, with the two-division fighter only competing four times since the start of 2021. Fans were eagerly anticipating his clash with former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia, but Chimaev was forced off the card at the last minute due to a severe illness.
UFC CEO Dana White addressed Chimaev’s condition during an interview on The Jim Rome Show, acknowledging the severity of the situation while expressing frustration over the lack of clarity regarding the fighter’s health issues. “The problem is we really don’t know [what’s wrong],” White said. “Every time this guy gets close to a fight, I saw video footage of him on the ground violently ill. He was hospitalized again. He hadn’t trained for three or four days or five days, I don’t know exactly what the number was but we could not put him into a fight next weekend.”
Chimaev’s health struggles are not entirely new. The undefeated Chechen has been dealing with long-term complications stemming from a previous bout of COVID-19, which once led him to consider retirement. Although he managed to recover and even announced a permanent move up to 185 pounds, his momentum has been significantly hampered by ongoing health issues.
Chimaev’s last fight was a hard-fought victory over former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in November. Despite the win, he has not competed since, and this latest setback only adds to the uncertainty surrounding his career. Dana White expressed his frustration over Chimaev’s recurring illnesses, which have made it increasingly difficult to schedule his fights. “I saw this kid on Fight Island, he wanted to fight the next weekend,” White recalled. “I let him fight the next weekend. He looked incredible. He’s been on this tear and lately it’s been hard to get him into the octagon. Every time he gets close to fighting, he gets really sick. I don’t know [how long he’s going to be out]. I don’t know what to say. It’s not like he’s over here in this country and we’ve had doctors here look at him or anything like that. He’s sort of out of touch so it’s tough to deal with.”
With Chimaev unable to compete, the UFC quickly adjusted the fight card, pairing Robert Whittaker with highly touted prospect Ikram Aliskerov. Aliskerov, who holds a 2-0 record in the UFC with both victories by knockout, has only one career loss—ironically to Chimaev back in 2019. This upcoming fight presents Aliskerov with an opportunity to leapfrog his former foe in the rankings with a victory over Whittaker.
Chimaev’s future remains uncertain as fans and the UFC await updates on his health. For now, the MMA world will have to hold its breath and hope for a speedy recovery for one of the sport’s most promising talents.
