Khamzat Chimaev: Borz — Fighter Profile, Career & Legacy
- Dana Black
- May 8
- 7 min read
Introduction
Khamzat "Borz" Chimaev is the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion and one of the most physically dominant fighters on the planet. The Chechen-born Swedish-trained Combat Sambo specialist became famous for his "smesh" approach — taking opponents down inside the opening seconds and mauling them with ground-and-pound. He has compiled a flawless 15-0 record with wins over former champions Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker, and Kamaru Usman, and defends his middleweight title for the first time against Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026.
Contents
Quick Stats
Nickname: Borz ("the wolf" in Chechen)
Age: 32 (born May 1, 1994)
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
Reach: 75" (190 cm)
Weight Class: Middleweight (185 lb) — former Welterweight competitor
Stance: Orthodox
Team: Allstars Training Center, Stockholm — head coach Andreas Michael
Pro MMA Record: 15 wins, 0 losses — current UFC Middleweight Champion
Background
Born May 1, 1994 in Mayrtup, in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. His childhood was shaped by the Second Chechen War; he and his family emigrated to Sweden as refugees in his teenage years. He started Combat Sambo and freestyle wrestling at the local Allstars Training Center in Stockholm under Andreas Michael — the gym that has also produced Alexander Gustafsson and Ilir Latifi.
He competed in Combat Sambo and freestyle wrestling internationally before turning professional in MMA in 2018. He went 8-0 on the European regional scene before signing with the UFC in 2020. His viral debut sequence — knocking out John Phillips ten days after submitting Rezvan Salikhov, both within the same UFC Fight Island bubble — made him an instant star and earned him the longest-tenured Joe Rogan podcast appearance of any rookie of his era.
Fighting Style
The most physically overwhelming style in the modern UFC. The blueprint: close distance with a heavy single-leg or double-leg in the first thirty seconds, drive opponents into the cage, and finish from top position with elbows or rear-naked choke. His Combat Sambo background gives him the same chain-wrestling instincts as Khabib and Makhachev — but with a six-foot-two frame and visibly explosive power that lighter Dagestani fighters do not have.
His one stylistic vulnerability has been gas tank against elite opposition. Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 took him into the championship rounds in his first true elite-level fight, and Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 also made the third round genuinely competitive. His health complications from a 2022 respiratory illness — described by his team as long COVID — also disrupted his weight cuts at welterweight and necessitated the move to middleweight. At 185 he has looked physically at peak again, but the question of how he handles a five-round fight against a top-five conditioning athlete remains open going into the Strickland defense.
Career Highlights
October 2024 — UFC 308 vs Robert Whittaker. Submitted Whittaker with a face crank in round one in Abu Dhabi — the most efficient finish of any former champion in 2024.
October 2023 — UFC 294 vs Kamaru Usman. Won a majority decision over the former welterweight king in a fight booked on twelve days notice when Khabib's protege Paulo Costa pulled out.
April 2022 — UFC 273 vs Gilbert Burns. Won a unanimous decision over an elite top-five welterweight in his first true championship-level test.
Won the UFC Middleweight Championship by defeating Dricus du Plessis in 2025.
Holds an undefeated 15-0 professional record across UFC, Brave CF, and European regional promotions.
Named UFC Performance of the Night three times and Fight of the Night once.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs Gilbert Burns (UFC 273, 2022)
Chimaev's first true top-five test. Burns dropped him in round two and pushed the pace into the third round; Chimaev recovered to win a unanimous decision and earned widespread respect for surviving the only sustained pressure he had ever faced. The fight remains his stiffest performance even four years later.
vs Kamaru Usman (UFC 294, 2023)
A short-notice main-card fight booked when Paulo Costa withdrew. Chimaev won a majority decision over the former welterweight champion in his first welterweight bout above 170 pounds — Usman fought him at a catch-weight after the late notice. The result was contested in some MMA media but accepted by the UFC's matchmaking system as proof of championship-level status.
vs Robert Whittaker (UFC 308, 2024)
The most efficient finish of his career against an elite. Chimaev shot for a double-leg, took Whittaker's back in the scramble, and locked in a face-crank submission at 1:42 of round one. Whittaker tapped, then admitted post-fight that his jaw was broken in two places.
vs Nate Diaz (UFC 279 cancelled, 2022)
The most dramatic missed bout of his career. Chimaev missed weight by 7.5 pounds and the UFC reshuffled the entire pay-per-view card; he ended up fighting Kevin Holland at catchweight and submitting him in round one. The Diaz fight was the catalyst for his eventual move up to middleweight.
vs Dricus du Plessis (2025)
His first UFC championship victory. Chimaev outwrestled and dominated du Plessis to claim the middleweight title, ending a championship reign that had defeated Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya. The result confirmed that the middleweight division had a new dominant force.
Championships & Accolades
UFC Middleweight Champion (2025 to present).
Undefeated professional MMA record at 15-0.
Wins over three former UFC champions: Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker, and Kamaru Usman.
Three-time UFC Performance of the Night winner.
UFC Fight of the Night winner (vs Burns, UFC 273).
Brave Combat Federation veteran with multiple finishes prior to UFC signing.
Combat Sambo and freestyle wrestling national-level Swedish competitor.
Current Status
Active and reigning. Chimaev defends his UFC middleweight championship for the first time on May 9, 2026 at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event at the Prudential Center. The fight headlines a card that also features the Joshua Van flyweight title defense against Tatsuro Taira.
Chimaev enters the title defense at 15-0 and has been a public favorite of UFC matchmaking since his 2020 debut. He has continued to train at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm and out of his UAE-based home camp, with Khabib Nurmagomedov making appearances as a strategic consultant. His team has stated he is at peak physical condition heading into the Strickland fight.
Fun Facts
His nickname "Borz" means "the wolf" in Chechen — also the name of the legendary AKS-74U-style folding-stock Chechen variant rifle.
He emigrated to Sweden as a teenager during the Second Chechen War and considers Stockholm his second home.
Holds 12.38 million Instagram followers, making him one of the most-followed European-based MMA athletes in the world.
His 2022 respiratory illness — diagnosed as long COVID by his team — caused him to be hospitalized and forced his eventual move from welterweight to middleweight.
Famously turned down multiple lucrative endorsement deals to remain based in Sweden during the early portion of his UFC career.
Has trained personally with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on multiple occasions, a relationship that has drawn both political support and controversy in Western media.
Speaks Russian, Chechen, Swedish, English, and Arabic.
Officially competes representing the United Arab Emirates after a 2022 residency change for visa and competition purposes.
Legacy / Verdict
On a competitive ledger, Chimaev is one of the most efficient elite-record fighters in modern UFC history. Fifteen wins, zero losses, three former champions on his resume, and a stylistic dominance that has produced sub-five-minute finishes against world-class opponents. The 2024 Whittaker submission was a signature moment; the du Plessis title win confirmed his arrival as the division's dominant force.
What he still has to prove is championship longevity. The Burns fight at UFC 273 remains the only time he has been pushed beyond round one against a true elite, and the Usman decision was contested in MMA media. The Strickland title defense at UFC 328 is the first real championship-level test of his five-round endurance and pressure-handling. If he wins it convincingly, the GOAT-tier conversation begins. If he doesn't, the questions about his ceiling get louder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khamzat Chimaev UFC Middleweight Champion?
Yes. He defeated Dricus du Plessis to win the UFC middleweight title in 2025 and is making his first title defense against Sean Strickland on May 9, 2026 at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
What is Khamzat Chimaev's professional MMA record?
Fifteen wins and zero losses — undefeated heading into his UFC 328 title defense. He has finishes by knockout, submission, and decision dominance, with no loss on his record at any level of competition.
Where is Khamzat Chimaev from?
Born May 1, 1994 in Mayrtup, Chechnya, Russia. He emigrated to Sweden as a teenager, trained at Allstars Training Center in Stockholm, and now fights out of the United Arab Emirates.
What style does Khamzat Chimaev fight?
An overwhelming Combat Sambo and freestyle wrestling system layered with heavy-handed striking. He is famous for his 'smesh' approach — taking opponents down inside the first thirty seconds, then mauling them with ground-and-pound or submissions. His clinch breakdowns are among the most violent in the sport.
Has Khamzat Chimaev beaten any UFC champions?
Yes. His resume includes wins over former UFC champions Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker, and Kamaru Usman — all defeated during their respective primes or near-prime windows.
When does Khamzat Chimaev fight next?
On May 9, 2026 at UFC 328 in Newark. He defends his middleweight title for the first time against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event.
How tall is Khamzat Chimaev?
Six feet two inches (188 cm), with a 75-inch (190 cm) reach. He fights at middleweight after originally competing at welterweight in his early UFC career.
Why did Khamzat move from welterweight to middleweight?
He suffered a severe respiratory illness in 2022 — a long-COVID complication — that forced him out of his scheduled UFC 279 main event with Nate Diaz after missing weight badly. He moved up to middleweight permanently in 2024 and has dominated the division at his natural weight.
References
Comments