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Khamzat Chimaev recently gave an injury update and a potential return timeline.
Chimaev was last seen in action against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. While he ended up winning the bout via majority decision, 'Borz' also suffered a hand injury that has delayed his shot at the middleweight title.
He tore a ligament in his hand, and while it was initially suggested that surgery would not be required, the UFC fighter has confirmed that he will be going under the knife in around two weeks.
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During a recent Instagram Live session, Chimaev stated that he is down to be back for UFC 300. He said:
"[Surgery in] one to two weeks. After that, recovery, come back and smash somebody.... UFC 300 let's go, tell Dana White make that happen."
Watch the clip below:
Colby Covington blames Khamzat Chimaev for delaying his return
Colby Covington has not been seen in action since his March 2022 win over Jorge Masvidal. While he is set to face Leon Edwards later this month for the welterweight championship, he has been heavily criticized for not fighting for so long.
However, according to Colby Covington, he shouldn't be blamed for it.
During a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, 'Chaos' claimed that the UFC wanted to book a fight between him and Khamzat Chimaev, but 'Borz' refused to take up the offer.
Moreover, Covington slammed Chimaev for missing weight by a significant margin ahead of his scheduled fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. He said:
"[UFC] were looking at setting up that fight with that mother****er, Khamzat Chimaev but he's unprofessional. He's a clown. He's out there laughing when he's missing weight by 10 pounds... They gave him the easiest fight to set up to get this big money fight in Colby 'Chaos' Covington. He couldn't pass the test."
Colby Covington added that he was also offered other fights, including Dustin Poirier, but nobody accepted:
"That's what's been the delay - other fighters not agreeing to the fight and not doing business for the UFC... I accepted every single fight they offered - Khamzat Chimaev, Dustin Poirier..."
Watch the interview below:
