UFC middleweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev recently claimed that alleged United States visa issues are keeping him away from fighting for the title. He claimed that the organization consistently framed several of his bouts as title eliminators, only for them to fall through.
During a recent vlog on Adam Zubayraev's YouTube channel, Chimaev shed light on whether a victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 will warrant a title shot. He said:
"I don't know we will see. They promise me a title eliminator every time... When I fought Gilbert Burns it was the No.1 contender fight. After the Kamaru Usman fight I didn't get the title shot either. Now it's the third time... Let's see, hopefully." [H/t: Red Corner MMA]
Chimaev added that his hopes are pinned on Donald Trump's potential win at the 2024 United States presidential election for a title shot. He added:
"As long as Donald Trump is not the president [of the United States] we can't come back to the U.S. Maybe that's the reason. Let's not cover the truth. But I'm not upset. Whenever they let me fight I will fight. Whenever I get the belt let it be and even if I don't get the belt I will still be the champion without the belt."
Catch Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:
Chimaev will return to action after a year-long hiatus to take on Whittaker at the UFC 308 pay-per-view event on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Earlier this year, 'Borz' was forced to pull out of his main event assignment against Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabi due to illness and was replaced by Ikram Aliskerov.
Check out the full vlog below:
Khamzat Chimaev reveals change in training routine ahead of fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308
Khamzat Chimaev has made some important changes in his training routine in preparation for the upcoming fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Renowned for his uncompromising mindset and gritty approach to training, Chimaev has implemented strategic decisions centered on recovery and peak performance. Speaking about his training in the aforementioned vlog, he said:
"The point is they now let me rest and recover properly. I used to go to the gym and train till I was done. But then I ended up in hospital. Like the last time when I was in hospital, three times in a row within three weeks. My immune system went down, I got sick. Now I use a better approach. I work with good coaches. Salim [Noutsalkhanov] raised a lot of world champions. He also trained Buvaisar Saitiev for the Beijing Olympics. With people like that, I'm going to take a big step forward."
Catch Chimaev's comments below: