Khamzat Chimaev, a Swedish-Chechen UFC welterweight/ middleweight, is still just a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, despite high level Wrestling experience.
In one of his recent vlogs, he was seen working on his BJJ gi game. Despite fans’ eagerness to see him back in the octagon, he appears to be in a negotiation struggle with the UFC. Chimaev’s last fight was at UFC 279, where he missed weight by eight pounds. As a result, the UFC is hesitant to book him at welterweight. Although it has not been officially announced, there are rumors that Chimaev will face Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi in October, leaked by Adin Ross, who has connections to both Dana White’s camp and Chimaev’s.
Before UFC 279, Chimaev faced Gilbert Burns and was determined not to engage in ground fighting. He previously challenged Francis Ngannou to a grappling match outside of the UFC, despite being approximately 100 pounds lighter than Ngannou. Chimaev has impressed many with his grappling skills, which he has showcased in videos from his training in Thailand. He also demonstrated his wrestling abilities by defeating Jack Hermansson in a wrestling tournament in Sweden.
Chimaev’s coach, Alan Finfou, has tasked him with exposing fake black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the MMA world. There is a significant difference in the level of skill required to attain a BJJ black belt across different teams, and even within teams in the same city. Finfou compared the promotion process to McDonald’s.
Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev criticized Gaethje and Poirier for their submission losses, stating that many black belts should be canceled as they are tarnishing the reputation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Craig Jones, Volkanovski’s BJJ cornerman, agrees with Makhachev’s assessment, stating that many people should have their black belts revoked. Additionally, Gordon Ryan is currently facing various health issues and has lost a considerable amount of weight.
Chimaev stated:
“Gordon Ryan, brother… you get sick. I hope soon you get healthy and I meet you brother, on the mats.”
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