Khamzat Chimaev is NOT seeking retirement from fighting, claims manager amidst rumors

Khamzat Chimaev's manager makes definitive statement about potential retirement rumors after UFC Saudi Arabia withdrawal.

Khamzat Chimaev is NOT seeking retirement from fighting, claims manager amidst rumors

Khamzat Chimaev is not retiring from the UFC anytime soon (Image via Imago)

Fans are getting more information about the situation with Khamzat Chimaev. The ‘Chechen’ pulled out from his fight with Robert Whittaker citing ‘serious’ illness. His manager now gave a statement amidst ongoing rumors of a potential retirement.

Khamzat Chimaev has been out of the octagon since his last showdown against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. That was his first fight in the past two years. Now with a fight booked against the top dog in the middleweight division, he had to withdraw at the last minute. Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas recently gave a statement to MMA Junkie, denying any potential retirement rumors.

It’s absolutely not true. We’re planning on getting to the bottom of this situation, the problems. He will be back.
Majdi Shammas on MMA Junkie

Chimaev is currently 13-0 and was supposed to headline UFC Saudi Arabia against Whittaker, a former middleweight champion. Chimaev ranks #10 in the middleweight rankings while Whittaker is way up at #3. A win against Whittaker at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia would have meant a serious boost in Chimaev’s rankings. However, instead, he will be replaced by rising contender Ikram Aliskerov from Dagestan.

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Fans had previously received a picture of Chimaev at the hospital. UFC CEO, Dana White had emphasized the seriousness of his condition when he announced Chimaev’s withdrawal. His last fight against Kamaru Usman was a close call that ended with a majority decision win. According to MMA Junkie, his fight against Whittaker was reportedly dubbed the No. 1 contender fight while #1 ranked Sean Strickland is on the sidelines demanding a title fight.

Khamzat Chimaev comes out with his first statement since the withdrawal

Khamzat Chimaev has made his first statement since withdrawing from UFC on ABC 6. The undefeated middleweight came out with an Instagram picture. ‘Borz’ is incredibly popular among fans with over 8.1 million followers on Instagram and over 670K on X.

Khamzat Chimaev out, Ikram Aliskerov set as new UFC on ABC 6 headliner for Robert Whittaker
Khamzat Chimaev out, Ikram Aliskerov set to take on Robert Whittaker (Source: IMAGO)

The ‘Chechen’ recently uploaded a picture of himself on Instagram. It is a picture of him on an ATV overlooking the valleys in Chechnya. 

We always plan something but Allah has his own plans for us! Alhamdulilah.
Khamzat Chimaev on Instagram

The post has over 360,000 likes and over 4000 comments. Many had come up with rumors about the withdrawal. Some suggested that Chimaev was not going to face ‘The Reaper’ unless the title was on the line. However, the former champion sent out a statement wishing ‘speedy recovery’ for his fellow middleweight.

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