UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev has announced his retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts after a long battle with Covid-19.
Khamzat Chimaev became a star during the Covid times when he fought back to back in a matter of 10 days against the likes of John Phillips and Rhys McKee and defeated them in a brutal fashion.
He then took on Gerald Meerschaert and knocked him out in just 17-seconds at UFC Fight Night 178 last September. Khamzat Chimaev was then scheduled to fight top welterweight contender Leon Edwards on December 19, but that fight got pushed back after the Briton contracted Covid-19.
The fight was then rescheduled for Jan 17 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. That fight was cancelled as this time around it was Khamzat Chimaev who contracted Covid-19. The fight with Leon Edwards was again rescheduled for March 14. This time around, Khamzat Chimaev announced that he won’t be competing against Leon Edwards following the lingering effects of Covid-19. Following this, Leon Edwards was booked against Belal Muhammad.
Khamzat Chimaev announced retirement
Khamzat Chimaev took to social media to announce his retirement. He also uploaded a pic of blood in his basin, that may or may not be related to the lingering effects of Covid-19.
“I want to say thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey in this sport. I think I’m done, yes I know I didn’t take the belt but it’s not the most important victory in this life. It may upset you but my heart and body tell me everything. I want to say a big thank you to my team @allstargymsweden. I want to say a big thank you to @ufc,” Chimaev wrote on Instagram (via google translate).
Prior to the retirement announcement, Khamzat Chimaev was looking at an Octagon return in June/July against a top-ranked contender. He had even called out Neil Magny.
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