Khamzat Chimaev teases break from fighting: ‘I have a lot of injuries’

Andrew Richardson is a professional fighter who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., providing MMAmania.com (and its readers) with expert technical fighter breakdowns, insight and analysis you can’t get anywhere else.

Khamzat Chimaev is motivated to fight before the end of 2026.

The former champion wants to rebound from his upset loss to Sean Strickland sooner than later. At first, he teased a move to Light Heavyweight but quickly fixed his sights back on Middleweight gold. Though “Borz” wants an immediate rematch, it appears that the UFC is moving forward with Nassourdine Imavov’s title shot instead.

If that’s the case, Chimaev still wants to get back in the cage and win column. He’s called out the entire Middleweight Top Five with that goal in mind. If he doesn’t return to action soon, however, Chimaev recently admitted that he may take a break and go under the knife to fix some lingering injuries.

“As for the fight, I’m trying to get one,” Khamzat Chimaev told Hustle Show. “I was to get one in October, and now I’m trying to get one in December. If nothing happens in October or December, I think I’ll take a little break. I have a lot of injuries. I need to get them treated. I’ve been putting off my surgeries, putting them off, putting them off. I go into every fight with some problem.

“I don’t really like talking about my problems or injuries. People already know that I get sick often. That’s just how it is with me. I don’t have half my thyroid gland. I’ve had seven times under anesthesia, six surgeries, and a lot of injuries. And I still do.“

Chimaev endures a lot of criticism for inactivity, but his explanation here feels fair. If the UFC is going to bench him for the next three months — and it’s already been four months since the Strickland loss — why not try to heal up? Sitting on the sidelines won’t improve his position in the title picture, but if the UFC won’t book him to fight, he might as well make the most of it.

Chimaev’s explanation is also a reminder of his serious health issues. If it ever feels like Khamzat hasn’t lived up to his full potential inside the Octagon, maybe consider that Chimaev was hospitalized so badly with COVID-19 that he nearly retired outright.

Prior to that 2020 illness, Chimaev was fighting all the time and never struggled with making weight.