Watch: Khamzat Chimaev displays wrestling prowess and explosiveness on heavy bag ahead of UFC 267 comeback fight

Khamzat Chimaev took the MMA world by storm with a trio of dominant performances in the UFC last year. ‘Borz’ made his UFC debut in July 2020 and ran through his opponents in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions.

Chimaev was then booked to compete in a high-profile welterweight bout against Leon Edwards. He was expected to fight Edwards in late 2020.

The fight didn’t come to fruition, however, as Chimaev contracted COVID-19. This led to the Edwards bout being rescheduled and canceled multiple times.

Regardless, ‘The Chechen Wolf’ has now seemingly recovered from his COVID-19 affliction and is set to return to the octagon.

Ahead of his comeback, Chimaev showcased his explosiveness and famed wrestling prowess by throwing around a heavy bag during training. Fans can watch video footage of his training embedded below (*Video courtesy: XcellentMMA):

Khamzat Chimaev is set to return after multiple fight cancelations

Khamzat Chimaev (left); Li Jingliang (right) (*Images courtesy: Khamzat Chimaev Instagram; Li Jingliang Instagram)

The Khamzat Chimaev vs. Leon Edwards matchup was first scheduled to take place at UFC Fight Night 183 on December 19th, 2020. The five-round welterweight bout was regarded by many as a potential welterweight title eliminator. But the fight was postponed due to both Chimaev and Edwards contracting COVID-19.

The fight was rescheduled to take place at UFC Fight Night 185 on January 20th, 2021. But Khamzat Chimaev was once again forced to withdraw from the fight due to health complications caused by COVID-19.

Following this, the UFC rebooked the matchup to take place at UFC Fight Night 187 on March 13th, 2021. Unfortunately, Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of this event as well, as he was unable to recover from his health issues caused by COVID-19.

Things apparently took a turn for the worse in March 2021, as Khamzat Chimaev announced his retirement from the sport of MMA. Chimaev suggested that he was dealing with lung issues because of the complications caused by COVID-19, which is why he was retiring.

However, UFC president Dana White later clarified that Chimaev was experiencing a few health issues due to the medication he was consuming coupled with him rushing back to training. White and Chimaev subsequently confirmed that he wasn’t retiring.

Moreover, it was recently revealed that Khamzat Chimaev will reportedly be fighting Li Jingliang in a welterweight bout at UFC 267 on October 30th, 2021.

Confirmed, UFC working on Khamzat Chimaev's (@KChimaev) return against Li Jingliang (@UfcJingliang) for UFC 267 in October. Not signed, but both sides are agreeable to it, per sources. The Wolf vs. The Leech at 170 pounds.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 9, 2021