Khamzat Chimaev shuts down rumour around Dricus Du Plessis title fight at UFC 319
On 16 August, Chimaev will challenge champion Dricus Du Plessis in Chicago, as one of the UFC's most fearsome contenders finally gets a title shot after being slowed by injury and illness.
With those setbacks in mind, back-up fighter Caio Borralho said in July that 'whispers' suggest Chimaev will call time on his career if he wins the gold.
However, Chimaev has moved to dismiss that speculation, telling ESPN on Wednesday (6 August): 'Yeah, I've seen Caio said... I don't know where he hears those things.
'I need money, bro! This is not enough, just to go for the one title.
'Hopefully if I don't get injured or some stuff, I'm gonna defend the belt or fight for another belt in Abu Dhabi as well.'
Chimaev, 31, has struggled with injuries and illness during his five-year UFC tenure, but when he has competed, he has been near-perfect. The Russian is 14-0 as a professional, 8-0 in the UFC, and holds wins over former champions Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker – the latter of whom he submitted in round one in October, crushing Whittaker's teeth in the process.
Previously, there were rumours that Chimaev could not travel to the US, with the Russian having last competed stateside in 2022 and having fought in Abu Dhabi in his two bouts since then. However, he will return to US soil for UFC 319, where he faces Du Plessis in the main event.
'This wasn't my bad, wasn't my fault,' he said on Wednesday. 'Everyone knows I didn't have a Visa to the US. That's why I didn't fight [there]. So now, Donald Trump, he heard, so we go for a fight.' US president Trump is close friends with UFC president Dana White.
If Du Plessis or Chimaev falls out of their fight in Chicago on short notice, Borralho will step in.
The Brazilian, 32, alluded to a potential Chimaev retirement in July, telling MMA Today: 'I heard, somewhere, some people saying that if he wins the belt, he is gonna retire.
'Some little talks, some whispers, you know? If he wins the belt, he retires. I'm not sure of that, I don't know if I believe that or not, but it's an option.
'There's too much pressure on him. [He's had] health problems and a lot of pressure from his country. Maybe he retires, maybe not.
'He has a lot of money already, like a lot of money. He's good with money. He'd already be the champion [in this case], so why not retire? I'd do the same.'
While Chimaev has been a scary force inside the Octagon, Du Plessis has been formidable. The South African, 31, has an overall record of 23-2 and is 9-0 in the UFC – with two title defences under his belt.
Du Plessis won the middleweight title in January 2024 with a decision win over Sean Strickland, and he replicated that result to retain the strap this February.
In between those fights, he submitted former champion Israel Adesanya in another successful title defence in August. Like Chimaev, 'Stillknocks' also holds a win over Whittaker, having scored a TKO of the ex-champion in 2023.
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