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Straits Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Mixed Martial Arts-Chimaev finally gets UFC title shot after long road to the top
After Khamzat Chimaev burst onto the MMA scene in 2020 with a flurry of fast, violent stoppages that suggested a champion-in-waiting, he finally gets his shot at UFC gold when he takes on incumbent Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago on Saturday. The Chechen-born 31-year-old, who started his professional career in Sweden before moving to the United Arab Emirates, was long seen as an unstoppable force until his career was disrupted by illness and visa issues. Saturday's showdown will see Chimaev put his unbeaten record on the line against the unorthodox South African. "I think he's ready, I'm ready, just going in, fireworks," Chimaev told a media conference on Thursday that saw his opponent roundly booed by members of the public in attendance. "I've come to take over, man, to take his head and go." Both fighters made the 185-pound limit at Friday's weigh-in, setting up a mouth-watering clash between Chimaev's smothering wrestling and hard-hitting groundwork and the sheer unpredictability of du Plessis, who is also 31. Chimaev roared out of the traps when he entered the UFC in July 2020, submitting John Phillips in the second round of his debut with the promotion before making an incredibly quick turnaround by dropping down to welterweight 10 days later and knocking out Rhys McKee in the opening round. He was back in the cage again less than two months later to score a knockout win over Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds that looked to have put him on a fast-track to title contention. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Singapore ICA to review Ong Beng Seng's PR status after he is fined for abetting obstruction of justice Singapore Drug trafficker gets death sentence commuted after President Tharman grants clemency Asia Former China envoy to Singapore Sun Haiyan reappears after reported questioning Life Founder of Singapore Symphony Orchestra Choo Hoey dies at 90 Singapore Hawkers at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre will not need to provide free meals under new contracts Chimaev's meteoric rise was abruptly derailed when he tested positive for COVID-19 in December 2020 and such were his struggles to recover from the illness that he announced his retirement from the sport in March 2021, only to relent shortly afterwards. His troubles were not over, however, and Chimaev failed to make weight for the main event of UFC 279 against Nate Diaz in Las Vegas in September 2022. He missed the welterweight non-title fight limit of 171 pounds by seven and a half pounds and was replaced in the bout by Tony Ferguson. Chimaev submitted Kevin Holland in a hastily-arranged fight at a higher weight class on the same card, but subsequently struggled to get a visa to enter the United States due to his association with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. That led to Chimaev moving to Abu Dhabi and taking out citizenship in the UAE, and the fighter credited U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House for the fact that he was granted a new visa to compete there earlier this year. "Everyone knows I didn't have the visa (before)," Chimaev said when asked at a recent open workout why he had not fought in the U.S. in recent years. "That's why I (only fought) in Abu Dhabi. Now, Donald Trump is here, so we go for a fight." Between Chimaev and what once seemed like his destiny is du Plessis, whose awkward, walk-forward style defies definition. "He (Chimaev) is so certain he's becoming world champion, and I'm here to say no," du Plessis said. "There's no way you're becoming world champion while I'm the champion. It's going to be interesting to see." REUTERS
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dricus Du Plessis welcomes Khamzat Chimaev's aggression at UFC 319: 'Let's go full speed'
CHICAGO – Dricus Du Plessis welcomes the aggression Khamzat Chimaev presents in the octagon. The UFC middleweight champ has witnessed Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) go all out against his opponents from the moment the referee signals for the fight to begin. In the main event of UFC 319 at the United Center, Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) says he is not only ready to deal with that intensity, but truly hopes his opponent brings that same energy he's brought in previous fights. Of his eight UFC bouts, Chimaev has only competed in a five-round fight twice before: against Kevin Holland at UFC 279 and against former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, which was his most recent outing. Both of those fights were over in the first round. He's gone the distance in three-round fights against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. After both of those fights, questions about his gas tank were prevalent as he faded late. Du Plessis, who has gone the distance in two championship bouts, is ready to test Chimaev's endurance over 25 minutes. "I'm going out there to fight the way (I fight) and see what happens," Du Plessis told reporters at Wednesday's media day. "He didn't change his gameplan with Robert Whittaker because it was a five-rounder. That kind of already gives me the sense that he's not gonna think about the five rounds when he should be. Five rounds is a long time, and I am not scared to get into that dark place. We've seen that. "If we go full speed, you know, I can fight tired all day. I've done that many times. So, let's go for it. Let's go from the first bell to the last. Let's go full speed and see who quits." Chimaev has overwhelmed much of the competition behind a staunch wrestling game. Right out of the gate, he puts immense pressure on his opponent as he hunts for a takedown entry. Du Plessis believes that focusing so much on what Chimaev intends to do rather than trying to implement their own gameplan has led to their downfall. "A lot of guys have made this mistake fighting him: Going in and saying, 'I need to watch out for that. He's gonna shoot and I need to be ready. I have to watch out.' And then they don't do anything until he does shoot and gets them down anyway," Du Plessis said. "You have to go out there and fight. Didn't you train? I understand he's really good a wrestling and is really good on the ground, but I mean, that is the game, I guess, right? If you're fighting Israel Adesanya, are you going to start on your bum and butt scoot? No. You're gonna have to fight him. "That is how it is, and that's truly how I feel about this fight. Yes, he is gonna shoot. Yes, he is probably gonna take me down, but I'm gonna shoot too, and I'm probably gonna take him down. And I'm gonna strike, and I'm probably gonna hit him. He's gonna strike and probably hit me. I'm not scared of any of that. I go into any fight with that mindset that you might get hit – you're definitely getting hit. You might get taken down. What do you do after that?" Du Plessis made it clear that the primary focus of this UFC 319 fight camp was in preparation for the wrestling approach. So much so that he wanted to get it "perfect." However, it's not so that he will sit back and wait to use his defensive skills. Du Plessis intends to bring the fight to Chimaev, knowing the work he put in during camp will be in his back pocket, ready to pull out when necessary. "I'm not going out there to fight his fight," Du Plessis said. "I'm going out there to do what Dricus does, and that is be a world champion."
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Was Khamzat Chimaev banned from fighting in USA and did Donald Trump help UFC 319 star get into the country?
The Russian issued a defiant statement on the matter late last year ZAT GUY Was Khamzat Chimaev banned from fighting in USA and did Donald Trump help UFC 319 star get into the country? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KHAMZAT CHIMAEV is just days away from competing in his first UFC title fight. The undefeated phenom will challenge for middleweight gold in the main event of UFC 319 in Chicago early on Sunday morning. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Khamzat Chimaev returns to the octagon next weekend in the main event of UFC 319 Credit: GETTY 7 The Chechen clubber will challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title in Chicago Credit: UFC 7 'Borz' hasn't fought in the United States since his UFC 279 win over Kevin Holland nearly three years ago Credit: GETTY 7 His absence from the United States raised plenty of questions Credit: GETTY Standing between the 31-year-old wrecking machine and his dream of winning UFC gold is dominant champion Dricus Du Plessis. Chimaev's Chicago clash with DDP will be his first outing on American soil since his first-round submission of Kevin Holland in September 2022. His last two fights against Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker have both taken place in Abu Dhabi. His absence from the States raised eyebrows and led many to wonder if he'd been banned from entering the country. READ MORE UFC NEWS POWER ADE Israel Adesanya provides update on UFC return and opens door to two mega fights And according to veteran and internationally respected reporter Karim Zidan, Chimaev "partially" had difficulty entering the USA due to his "association" with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov. Chimaev is pals with Kadryov, who was sanctioned by the U.S State Department over multiple human rights abuses in December 2017. 'Borz' responded to the claims about his eligibility to enter the US last October and was dismissive of the allegation. He told Shakiel Majouri: 'I don't think [it would be a problem], there's a lot of s*** things [being said]. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN 7 Khamazat Chimaev is friends with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov 7 Reports have claimed Chimaev was partly unable to enter the US due to his relationship with the State Department-sanctioned Kadyrov "I've been in the U.S., and can come to the U.S. "But, a lot of s*** things have happened in my life. Being sick, having surgeries. Khamzat Chimaev returns to training after brutally calling out Dana White over UFC 300 'broken promises' "So that's why I've [not] been fighting [there] like before.' He continued: 'So, Abu Dhabi being close to me, I'll fight here. "I've been in England, I've been in the UK, the U.S., I'm going to go to Australia soon in December. "I can be anywhere. "So, I don't know who has a problem with me, and people say a lot of different things. I don't know.' Chimaev added last week: "This wasn't my bad, wasn't my fault. '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." I've been in the U.S., and can come to the U.S." Khamzat Chimaev on reports he was banned from entering the USA 7 Donald Trump hailed Khamzat Chimaev as a "great fighter" last year Credit: MEGA AGENCY Chimaev's return to the US has undoubtedly coincided with the 2024 re-election of Donald Trump, a long-time friend of UFC bigwig Dana White. Chimaev publicly rooted for Trump in the build-up to the 2024 Elections and admitted he'd have a better chance of competing in the States if he were to defeat Kamala Harris. Trump got wind of the Russian's comments and hailed him as a "great fighter" on his Instagram story. When asked about Trump's praise, he told Adam Zuba: "Everyone texted me 'Trump mentioned you'. Well, he's a big fight fan. "The head of the Chechen Republic supports me so much, he's always there for me and roots for me. 'I'm not into politics, I don't want to say something abut this president or that president. "We, common people, have no clue whats really going on in the world but I stand for peace. "So if any President wants peace I'm with him on that.'
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Daniel Rodriguez couldn't end career without fighting Kevin Holland: 'Everyone's excited'
NEW ORLEANS – After multiple failed bookings, Daniel Rodriguez is happy to finally fight Kevin Holland. Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) takes on Kevin Holland (28-13 MMA, 15-10 UFC) on Saturday's UFC 318 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main card at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The pair were scheduled to fight at UFC 279 in September 2022, but a wild change up resulted in Rodriguez facing Li Jingliang, and Holland taking on Khamzat Chimaev. Holland said he owed it to Rodriguez to eventually fight him, and Rodriguez agrees. "Definitely – I've said it multiple times in my career, because this is actually the third time we're scheduled to fight," Rodriguez said during Wednesday's media day. "The fans want it, I want it, he wants it – everyone's excited for it. Definitely one of those fights I feel like I had to – I can't end my career not knowing what would have happened, so it's a great matchup." Rodriguez has rebounded with back-to-back wins after losing three fights in a row. He understands the value in beating a name like Holland, who's also on a two-fight winning streak. "It's huge," Rodriguez said. "It would definitely be one of the biggest wins of my career. I feel like it'll put me back in the rankings, and yeah, it's an amazing fight. I'm going to go out there and try my hardest to win."
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paulo Costa plans to call out 'motherf*cker' Khamzat Chimaev with UFC 318 win
Paulo Costa has not let go of his beef with Khamzat Chimaev. Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) were booked to fight at UFC 294 in October 2023, but Costa wound up withdrawing due to injury. Their rivalry dates back to a heated run-in at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas prior to Chimaev's UFC 279 win over Kevin Holland in September 2022. Costa meets Roman Kopylov (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. With a win, "Borrachinha" hopes he can finally settle his score with Chimaev, who challenges middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC 319 headliner on Aug. 16 in Chicago. "If God gives me this victory, I will call his name," Costa said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I'm going to call this son of a b*tch, motherf*cker for a fight. He needs to fight me. I need to fight him. I have tried to fight him for a long time, since we had a beef inside the PI. "He has been avoiding fighting me for a long time. He always says no, and UFC has tried to put this matchup together for a long time, like two years ago. They said Chimaev said no, 'he doesn't want to fight you, he wants to fight anybody at 185, but he doesn't want to fight you.'" Since falling short to Israel Adesanya in their title fight at UFC 253, Costa has failed to regain his peak form, losing four of his past five fights. He plans on bringing back the version of himself that went toe-to-toe with Yoel Romero in a Fight of the Night win. "I just feel like I need a new refresh," Costa said. "See different things and be connected with my old style, that style to chase, to be more aggressive, to bring back the Paulo of the old days since I fought my very first fights in the UFC, very aggressive. The fans and people around me always ask me to come back with this kind of style of fighting. So, yeah, I was looking for that, to bring back this style, and I think this is who I am."
