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Khamzat Chimaev is set to make his return to the octagon at UFC on ABC 6 in June when he faces Robert Whittaker in the first five-round bout of his career. While the No.11-ranked middleweight is widely considered one of the most talented fighters in the sport, he has yet to receive a title opportunity. After closing in on a welterweight title shot, 'Borz' missed weight at UFC 279 and eventually made the jump to the 185-pound division.
He returned after a 13-month layoff, defeating Kamaru Usman via majority decision at UFC 294. Despite defeating the former welterweight champion, his performance was one of the toughest of his career - with many viewers claiming that the bout should have been a draw and that Chimaev may have lost if it were a five-rounder. On that note, let's take a look at what religion Chimaev follows.
What religion is Khamzat Chimaev?
Khamzat Chimaev hails from the village of Gvardeyskoye, which is in modern-day Chechnya, Russia. He fights out of Sweden, however, after immigrating to the nation at the age of 18. 'Borz' is a devout Muslim, who has expressed a strong commitment to his religion.
While Chimaev has fought during Ramadan in the past - most notably when he defeated Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision at UFC 273—he turned down an opportunity to face Leon Edwards for the welterweight title at UFC 300 due to the religious commemoration of Muhammad's first revelation.
Speaking with MMA Uncensored, he stated:
"I will fight everybody. Leon [Edwards], [Dricus] du Plessis, anyone, but not [during] Ramadan. I think Ramadan [is during] UFC 300. Maybe somebody in Saudi Arabia. I want to fight there. Not fighting in Ramadan anymore." [h/t MMA Fighting]
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on fighting at UFC 300 below:
While Chimaev did not make his return to UFC 300, which took place just days after Ramadan ended, he received his wish by receiving a bout in Saudi Arabia. He could receive a title opportunity if he is able to defeat Robert Whittaker, who sits at third in the middleweight rankings, as UFC President Dana White labeled the bout a title eliminator.
If he is able to capture a title, 'Borz' would join Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Islam Makhachev as the fourth Muslim fighter to become a UFC champion.
