Khamzat Chimaev Talks About Illness That Pulled Him Out of UFC Saudi Arabia

Photo: Instagram/Khamzat Chimaev

Last month, MMA fans were disappointed when Khamzat Chimaev withdrew from his UFC Saudi Arabia fight against Robert Whittaker due to a "violent illness." Until now, we hadn't heard directly from Chimaev about his condition.

Chimaev recently spoke to Aslanbek Badaev, sharing that he began feeling unwell weeks before the fight. "My immunity had dropped a lot. I tried to rest, but I ended up in the hospital with severe headaches," he said. 

Doctors advised him to take a three-week break to recover, but the news of his withdrawal only came out later. Chimaev has unfinished business with former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. 

Photo: Instagram/Khamzat Chimaev

The two had a heated sparring session in 2022, where Strickland claimed he had the upper hand on the feet, but Chimaev dominated in grappling. Chimaev wants to settle the score in the octagon.

Chimaev also addressed a recent cryptocurrency controversy. He and his manager were accused of a "pump-and-dump" scheme. 


Chimaev admitted they made a mistake, saying, "I don't understand crypto. I trusted my manager and made a video as instructed." For more details, check out 'ZachXBT' on social media.

Chimaev is now back in training and looking forward to his next fight.


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