Fight fans are excited to see Khamzat Chimaev fight Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 319 this coming August, but there’s still a level of concern with three months left on the clock.
That’s because Chimaev has turned into one of the most unreliable contenders on the UFC roster today. Despite starting his UFC career with three wins in just a span of two months, “Borz” has since struggled to keep a consistent fight schedule. Fight fans want to see the undefeated contender compete and keep pushing towards UFC gold, but Chimaev has been forced out of multiple fights over the years for a variety of health reasons.
UFC matchmakers are well aware of the issues Chimaev has had over the years so they’ve already booked streaking middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov as the official backup for UFC 319. Even du Plessis recently joked that he’ll be defending his title against Imavov because Khamzat has become so unreliable.
With 90 days left until UFC 319 it’s anyone’s guess what will happen with Chimaev (and DDP for that matter). In the interim, we’ve compiled a complete rundown of all the times a Chimaev fight has been canceled or rescheduled due to “Borz” himself. Take a look below and let us know if you think Khamzat will make it to UFC 319 on Aug. 16 in Chicago, Illinois!
November 2020
Chimaev puts his scheduled bout with Leon Edwards at UFC Vegas 17 in jeopardy due to COVID-19 complications (the fight was later canceled after Edwards also tested positive).
December 2020
Khamzat withdraws from a re-scheduled bout with Edwards at UFC Vegas 19 due to more issues with COVID-19.
February 2021
Chimaev once again withdraws from a third scheduled bout with “Rocky” at UFC Vegas 21 due to lingering effects from COVID-19.
March 2021
Khamzat takes to social media to announce his retirement from the sport after struggling to recover from COVID-19, but UFC CEO Dana White quickly shut that down.
September 2022
Chimaev was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz in a welterweight bout at UFC 279, but missed weight by nearly eight pounds. His bout with Diaz was scratched and UFC matchmakers were forced to book “Borz” against Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight bout.
June 2024
Khamzat was scheduled to fight former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker atop the UFC Saudi Arabia card, but was forced to withdraw due to an unknown illness
