A dominant and accomplished fighter, Khamzat Chimaev is a Swedish mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of April 2022, he is #3 in the UFC welterweight rankings, and he has remained undefeated across his entire career after taking his tally to 12-0 at UFC 279 in September 2022 with a win against Kevin Holland.
Born in Gvardeyskoye in Chechnya, Chimaev began wrestling at the age of five and – after immigrating to Sweden when he was 18 – won several Swedish National championships in freestyle wrestling. He later turned to MMA, starting his career as an amateur in 2017 and easily winning his first three fights. He became a professional in 2018 after signing with Middle Eastern organization Brave Combat Federation, where he won all four of his fights and earned a Knockout of the Night award. Chimaev’s big break came in July 2020 when he made his UFC debut against John Phillips, whom he defeated via submission in the second round. He then took on Rhys McKee a few days later in the UFC Fight Night event, where he won the bout via technical knockout in the first round, earning a Performance of the Night award. Chimaev made history in the UFC by winning two fights in ten days, becoming the first fighter in the promotion’s history to achieve the feat. He has since maintained a winning streak against formidable opponents such as Li Jingliang, Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland, winning four Performance of the Night and one Fight of the Night award along the way.
Chimaev is a vastly promising talent in the sport, boasting an impressive wrestling background and knockout power. He has stated that his goal is to become a UFC champion, and with his record, he certainly has the potential to achieve it over the coming years. One of the most famous fighters on the circuit, Khamzat has reached a staggering five million followers on Instagram, where he maintains an active presence and revels in interacting with his countless fans.
