Connect with us

MMA

Khamzat Chimaev reveals details about injuries requiring time off, plans to challenge for UFC middleweight title again

Published

on

Khamzat Chimaev reveals details about injuries requiring time off, plans to challenge for UFC middleweight title again

Khamzat Chimaev wants nothing more than to become UFC middleweight champion again, but he understands it's unlikely he'll get that next shot at the belt.

So while he's waiting, Chimaev is preparing to stay busy working with RAF, which includes his showdown against old foe Gilbert Burns on Saturday in Miami, and healing up some nagging injuries. While Chimaev's health has been a huge cause for concern in the past, the Chechen mauler promises that if he needs time off now to deal with those injuries, he won't be gone very long.

“I want to fight,†Chimaev told MMA Fighting on Thursday. “That's why I want to fight. It's not crazy big injuries where you need to be off from sparring. It's just my hands. I punch hard so I always have problems with my hands and I have to fix it.

“It's not going to take a long time but people think Khamzat is not going to fight. If I do break off, it's going to be one or two months. Still going to be doing recovery, training.â€

Chimaev has been very vocal, especially on social media, about booking another fight sooner than later. The UFC has made no announcements but the current rumor is that middleweight champion Sean Strickland is expected to defend his title against Nassourdine Imavov before 2026 concludes.

With the champion tied up, Chimaev turned his attention towards Caio Borralho, who he says accepted his challenge when he was looking for a fight.

“Only Caio [Borralho] wanted to fight, but he had an injury when I asked about October,†Chimaev said. “He said November or December, he will be ready.â€

As far as the title goes, Chimaev obviously wants the belt back after losing a very close decision to Strickland back in May. Chimaev isn't all that concerned about revenge on Strickland as getting the UFC title back again — and he expects to face a new champion when that comes time.

“I would be happy who is the winner if they come back faster Nassourdine or Sean, who is the winner, I want to fight this guy,†Chimaev said. “It's a tough fight. But I go for Nassourdine.â€

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MMA

Vertigo delays Alvin Hines pursuit of first UFC victory

Published

on

Vertigo delays Alvin Hines' pursuit of first UFC victory
Alvin
Hines' pursuit of his first win in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship has been delayed.

Hines was scheduled to face Gabriel
Lourenco in a heavyweight bout at
UFC Fight Night 293 on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
However, Hines has announced his withdrawal from the fight because
of vertigo.

Alvin Hines withdraws from UFC Fight Night 293 against Gabriel
Lourenco

Hines plans to continue training with adjustments while recovering
from vertigo and hopes to return to competition at full
strength.

“I had to pull out of this one for medical reasons due to vertigo,â€
Hines wrote on Instagram. “It wasn't an easy decision, but I know I
need to be able to step into that Octagon at 100% and perform to my
true potential. I'm going to continue fight camp with some
adjustments while I work through this and get myself back to where
I need to be. I'm not walking away from the fight. I'm taking the
time to get right so when I'm back in there, I can put on the kind
of fight I know I'm capable of. I'm sorry for the change, and I
appreciate everyone who was looking forward to seeing me compete.
Trust me, I'll be back. Sometimes the hardest part of fighting
isn't throwing punches. It's knowing when to step back, get right,
and prepare for the next battle. This is just a setback. Not the
end of the story.â€

Hines (7-2) was an undefeated prospect with six finishes in seven
victories when he signed with the UFC last year. However, “Goozieâ€
has lost both of his Octagon appearances. Meanwhile, Lourenco (8-1)
was slated to make his promotional debut against Hines after
earning a contract with a first-round knockout victory over Charlie
Cleveland on
Dana White's Contender Series in September.

Continue Reading

MMA

Arman Tsarukyan’s opponent revealed for RAF Abu Dhabi; Kennedy Blades vs. Bella Mir title match added

Published

on

Arman Tsarukyan’s opponent revealed for RAF Abu Dhabi; Kennedy Blades vs. Bella Mir title match added

A few more big additions to Real American Freestyle's debut in Abu Dhabi is set.

Promotional officials confirmed to MMA Fighting that Arman Tsarukyan will face longtime Bellator standout Neiman Gracie at the event, which takes place Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena.

Tsarukyan is beginning to get back to his active ways with RAF as he'll compete for the second time in three weeks. “Batman†is already scheduled to headline RAF 14 against Dillon Danis on Oct. 23. In his most recent UFC appearance, Tsarukyan provided a knockout of the year contender, and likely locked up a lightweight title shot with a first-round finish of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September.

Gracie makes his second appearance for the promotion and looks to bounce back from his RAF Moscow loss to Shara Magomedov in September.

Additionally, Kennedy Blades puts her RAF middleweight title on the line against Bella Mir. Blades has yet to give up a single point during her dominant promotional run, while Mir makes a quick turnaround for the event as she's slated to face Hope Chase at RAF 14.

Kyle Dake is also set to defend his cruiserweight title on the card against Alp Arslan Begenjov.

RAF Abu Dhabi is headlined by Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev for the cruiserweight crossover title.

Continue Reading

MMA

UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone returns to combat sports after four-year retirement

Published

on

UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone returns to combat sports after four-year retirement

UFC Hall of Famer Donald Cerrone will return to combat sports for the first time since his retirement fight at UFC 276.

After a legendary career in the UFC Octagon, Donald Cerrone opted to hang up the gloves following a submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276. Four years after his retirement, Cerrone will return to fighting against a familiar name.

Cerrone entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 less than a year after his final fight in the Octagon. During his career, the former UFC title challenger earned wins over the likes of Mike Perry, Matt Brown, and Benson Henderson.

Now 43 years old, Cerrone has repeatedly teased a potential return to Mixed Martial Arts in recent years. But as of this writing, he hasn't signed the dotted line on any potential return to the UFC.

In the meantime, Cerrone will take the first steps towards a potential return to the cage on the Real American Freestyle wrestling mats.

Donald Cerrone set to face two-time UFC foe in Real American Freestyle debut

–

As announced by RAF on Wednesday, Cerrone will face two-time UFC rival Anthony Pettis at RAF 15 on November 28th in Chicago. The rest of the card is expected to be finalized and announced in the coming weeks.

Pettis will make his RAF debut after more than two years since his last appearance in boxing, a loss to Chris Avila, in July 2024. The former UFC lightweight champion hasn't fought in MMA since a loss to Stevie Ray during the 2022 PFL lightweight tournament.

This will be the third time that Cerrone and Pettis have competed against one another in their legendary careers. Pettis knocked out Cerrone in their first fight in January 2013, and defeated Cerrone by unanimous decision in their UFC 249 rematch.

What is your favorite highlight from Donald Cerrone's UFC career? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending