Khamzat Chimaev: Fueled by Faith, Driven by Fearlessness
UFC bogeyman Khamzat Chimaev has had a momentous UFC career thus far. With a memorial start to his UFC tenue, he broke the record for quickest turnaround between UFC wins in the modern era. Securing a 2nd round submission win over John Phillips in his debut. Only ten days later Khamzat Chimaev would drop from Middle to Welterweight and get a first round TKO win over Rhys McKee. Both fights would earn him “Performance of the night.” Since those bouts in 2020, Chimaev has made only five octagon appearances, most recently having defeated former Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker to secured a title shot. With vicious performances and a brutal gym reputation, what kind of mindset drives a fighter like? As it turns out, his motivation is the belief that every fight can be life or death.
Khamzat Chimaev on meeting god
Kamzat Chimaev is one of the few fighters with a catch phrase. “I kill everybody” became an iconic post fight interview that would define Khamzat’s attitude in the cage. When asked recently why he brings up death so much, he told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto “I believe in God, so I want to meet him as well. Always people talking about life, life. Life is going by really fast. I am already thirty one. I remember when I was six or seven years. It feels like yesterday. I believe in God, so do good things before I meet Him. If you’re not ready to die when it comes, you’ll be scared. Maybe my thinking about that made me who I am today.”
This statement encapsulates Kamzat Chimaev’s mindset when it comes to fighting. He fights every bout like his life depends on it, resulting in exciting performances for fans. Now, he is set to face UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 . Sure to be an exciting matchup, fans and fighters alike await to see what Khamzat Chimaev brings against the reigning champ.
