Khamzat Chimaev, when he recently pulled out of the fight against Robert Whittaker, raised some serious doubts about his future in MMA. Furthermore, new reports emerged that ‘Borz’ is contemplating putting down his gloves and giving up fighting altogether. However, another report has come along, which totally dismissed Chimaev’s retirement speculations.
Since 2020, health struggles have become a constant hurdle for Khamzat Chimaev. From battling COVID-19 to suffering a serious skin infection, the future, for many, is uncertain not only in the UFC but in MMA as a whole. Now, another “persistent illness” has many fans believing the end of his fighting career is near. But this could not be any further from the truth.
Khamzat Chimaev isn’t retiring any time soon
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It certainly came as a shock when reports emerged that ‘Borz’ was indeed done with fighting due to his medical condition. He’s only 30 years old and may have a year or two under his belt before reaching his prime. But those reports about Khamzat Chimaev aren’t true after all. And yes, it seems the undefeated Emirati fighter is still a professional MMA fighter.
During an interview with the Russian media outlet, TASS, Khamzat Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas denied that the 13-o fight is anywhere ready to retire from mixed martial arts. Meanwhile, ‘Borz’ hasn’t shared any words regarding this speculation as he’s presumably undergoing treatment to recover from his current illnesses.
⚡️ Khamzat’s Chimaev manager Majdi Shammas denies all talks about Chimaev’s retirement:
“Khamzat is not going to end his career.” – he says. pic.twitter.com/ISCdN6C4gd
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 17, 2024
“Khamzat has no intentions of retiring,” stated Majdi Shammas. (Translated by Google). Khamzat Chimaev’s manager might have confirmed that he’s not retiring this time, but there was a time when ‘Borz’ went on an indefinite hiatus, sparking worries that retirement might have been an option he considered.
‘Borz’ considered retirement in late 2020
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
COVID-19 affected millions and millions of people worldwide and, just live we’ve mentioned earlier, Khamzat Chimaev was also among those affected individuals. In December 2020, the Emirati star was scheduled to battle the current 170-pound gold holder, Leon Edwards. But Chimaev’s health complications during the pandemic barred him from that fight coming to fruition. Apparently, his medical state became even worse because he didn’t work according to how his doctors advised him and started training. This experience ultimately made him believe that his career was indeed over.
🚨Breaking🚨
Undefeated prospect Khamzat Chimaev announces his “retirement” from mixed martial arts on Instagram. He says “I think I’m done” this was probably due to the affects that COVID-19 had on himI really hope this isn’t true🙏🙏🙏 #UFC #MMATwitter pic.twitter.com/nR7VlYsrA5
— Combat Sports Insider (@combat_insider) March 2, 2021
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“I think I’m done, yes I know I didn’t take the belt, but it’s not the most important victory in his life, it may upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything,” Chimaev wrote on social media. Fortunately, the 30-year-old’s illness would slowly fade away and he’d soon get back inside the Octagon and continue maintaining his place in the winning column.
It’s just been a few days since Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of the Saudi Arabia event, so we can’t be too sure of anything. Hence, we’ll have to wait for more details on his current medical condition. Regardless, what do you make of Chimaev’s ongoing medical issues?