Khamzat Chimaev has confirmed that he will be returning to the octagon. After Chimaev was forced to pull out of the March 13 fight against Leon Edwards he announced his retirement from the sport online.
Chimaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz recently discussed the return of the fighter, who is expected to take on Neil Magny in July. ‘He’s probably going to start training in the middle of April, and is looking to fight in the beginning of July,’ Abdelaziz said to ESPN.
‘He’s still getting medical treatment on a daily basis, but he is doing much better” Abdelaziz continued. “Neil Magny is the guy we have in mind as an opponent, but let’s see what happens.’
The discussion also turned to the short ‘retirement’ announcement that Khamzat Chimaev made a few weeks ago. Chimaev has been dealing with the after-effects of COVID-19, and clearly it had taken a mental as well as a physical toll on him.
Ali Abdelaziz on Khamzat Chimaev
‘I think a lot of us don’t truly know what these young fighters go through,’ Abdelaziz said regarding Chimaev. ‘It’s impossible to live inside their heads and inside their bodies, and sometimes they say things out of frustration or they are just mad they can’t do what they love to do.”
“Khamzat has been doing this all his life” Abdelaziz stated. “So he’s almost felt crippled not being able to train, but he’s healthy now and he’s going to start training.”
Ali Abdelaziz finished by revealing that Khamzat Chimaev has got an….interesting way to train for his return. ‘I was talking to him this week and he even said he’s going to be swimming with alligators and sharks. Doing movement with these creatures, as part of a special training program.’
Let’s hope Shark-Fu becomes a thing.
Also Check Out:
