It seems that Khamzat Chimaev may not be fighting yet, after all.
While a cryptic post on Instagram cast doubt on whether the fast-growing outlook will continue its octagonal race, UFC President Dana White said Chimaev – who is currently in Las Vegas, is receiving treatment for a persistent case of COVID-19 – had an emotional moment but is not ready to call it a career.
“When he got here, the doctors took care of him and put him on prednisone, which is an ugly steroid for fiction,” White told MMA Junkie. “So he’s on prednisone and he should take this and cool off, relax and let himself recover. He came in and trained today, he felt like shit and he felt very emotional and he posted that.
“He shouldn’t train, but you know, this guy is a savage. He wants to fight like every fight weekend, and now he can’t even train, so he just got excited and posted this, but he doesn’t give up ”.
Originally posted in Russian, a Google translation of Chimaev’s text certainly made it look like it was ready to withdraw. Add photos on Instagram Stories about what looks like blood in a sink, and the condition doesn’t look clearly positive for the 26-year-old perspective (
I want to thank you all for your support in this sport. I think I’m done, yes, I know I didn’t take the belt, but this is not the most important victory of this life, it might upset you, but my heart and body tell me everything.
I want to thank my team @allstarsgymsweden 🙏🏼 a lot
I want to thank you huge @ufc 🙏🏼
Chimaev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, did not immediately respond to a request for MMA Junkie’s comments. However, White said he spoke directly with Chimaev and said he still believes the Chechen-born fighter will return to his octagon in June.
First of all, however, you must follow the doctor’s orders.
“He flew here so we could take care of him,” White said. “We are taking care of him. They took him with medication. He’ll be fine and come in and start training. He should not train and is very frustrated.
“He trains when he should rest. He must stay away, at least while using this medicine. ”
Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) last saw the action last September, when he scored a 17-second knockout to midfielder Gerald Meerschaert. The victory marked Chimaev’s third undefeated UFC victory in his first two months on the roster.