“We’re a 100% clean,” Khamzat Chimaev head coach on UFC fighter being drug tested by the Swedish government

“We’re a 100% clean,” Khamzat Chimaev head coach on UFC fighter being drug tested by the Swedish government

Khamzat Chimaev

In case you ever suspected UFC welterweight Khamzat Chimaev ever being on Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) whilst training outside the United States, look no further because ‘Borz’ trains out of one of the few countries with zero tolerance towards drugs, to such an extent that even the authorising state itself can intervene your path to continue being a professional athlete. Chimaev trains out of All-Stars Training Center in Sweden, under coach Andreas Michael and alongside teammates Alexander Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi and Darren Till.

Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev vs Gilbert Burns

Chimaev is coming off securing the biggest victory in his career from his last fight against former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, a fight that will definitely go for the fight of the year nominations by the end of 2022. Chimaev has jumped from being ranked #11 to being ranked #3, a jump similar to heavyweight Tai Tuivasa’s climb to rankings when the Australian fought and knocked out Derrick Lewis at UFC 271, then going from #11 to #3 in UFC heavyweight rankings.

Andreas Michael affirms how Khamzat Chimaev and other fighters at All-Stars are 100% clean

Andreas Michael - Khamzat Chimaev
Andreas Michael – Khamzat Chimaev

In an interview with ESPN MMA correspondent Brett Okamoto, Chimaev’s head coach Andreas Michael, who is also the coach for UFC heavyweights Alexander Gustafsson and Ilir Latifi, and middleweight Darren Till, talks critically about Chimaev’s performance at UFC 273, on Chimaev’s future and much more. In the midst of all, coach Michael talks about the drug policy in Sweden, and just like its other Scandinavian counterparts, it has a notoriously strict policy against its use.

“In Sweden, we are the hardest tested country,” says Michael “Because we don’t only get tested by USADA [US Anti-Doping Agency, leading athlete drug testing agency in the United States], we get tested by the government as well. Believe this or not, if the police see somebody that looks big outside on the street, they have the right to stop him and take him into the station and test him. That’s how Sweden is you know, so we’re 100 % clean… That’s just how it is in Sweden, it’s the law here,” concludes Michael.

Another interesting fact about the Swedish drug testing policy stated by Michael is that if you are found positive for any drug like steroids or other PEDs, you will be banned from training in all the gyms. What are your thoughts on the zero-tolerance policy towards drugs in Sweden, especially for athletes? Do you think the United States, the home for the UFC and other multi-national sports organizations, should also adapt and outsource rules from Sweden’s rulebook as well? Do you see Chimaev becoming the first Swedish-Chechnyan UFC champion in future?

Also Read: Neil Magny, Shavkat Rakhmonov, welterweight battle finalised for UFC Fight Night on June 25