Joe Rogan Doubles Down on Khamzat Chimaev Hype, Claims Only One Path to Beating Him
Joe Rogan has explained how to effectively neutralize Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling and perhaps the only way to stop the Chechen-born Emirati.
Chimaev became the UFC middleweight kingpin by dethroning Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. ‘Borz’ had a control time of 21 minutes and 40 seconds against du Plessis. He scored 12 takedowns and landed 529 strikes, winning every single round.
Recently, on The Joe Rogan Experience, the longtime UFC commentator lauded Chimaev’s wrestling pedigree and said that only an Olympic-calibre wrestler can stop him:
“The thing is, there are these gaps in wrestling, these gaps in grappling. When the guy is a really good grappler, and then you are taking out a guy like Dricus, who is really a striker… There are levels. and the kind of guy like Khamzat, man you gotta be an Olympic calibre wrestler to scrap with that guy”
Check out Joe Rogan’s comments about Khamzat Chimaev below:
Khamzat Chimaev is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in the UFC. Nonetheless, fighters with wrestling experience, such as Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, have lost to him despite faring better.
Chimaev is currently on the sidelines, as he will undergo surgery for a minor foot injury and is expected to make the first defense of his middleweight crown after Ramadan in 2026.
Who has Khamzat Chimaev called out to fight next year?
Khamzat Chimaev has previously called out the No. 2-ranked middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov and wants to fight ‘The Sniper’ next year when he returns. Chimaev is also interested in a superfight with UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who plans on moving up to heavyweight and has not seconded the plan.
After ‘Borz’ made his injury news public, Imavov, who last fought on September 6, 2025, and was expected to fight early in 2026, posted on X about his conversation with the UFC:
“Had a good conversation with UFC, I told them, Title shot only! If we have to wait, we’ll wait. No distractions, no detours. Great things require great preparation. Make no mistake, I’ll be ready!”
Check out Nassourdine Imavov’s comments below:
Chimaev also posted on X, calling out Imavov and asking the latter to work on his wrestling:
“See you after Ramadan @imavov1 🤫 You have time [to] work on your wrestling Bratishka 😁”
Check out Khamzat Chimaev’s post below:
