Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Khizarovich Chimaev, known by the nickname "Borz" (Chechen for "Wolf"), is a mixed martial artist born in the Chechen Republic, Russia. Raised partly in Sweden, where he built his wrestling career, he later gained citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and competes in the middleweight division of the UFC.

Chimaev began wrestling in his native Chechnya at age five before his family relocated to Sweden, where he rose through the amateur ranks and later turned professional in mixed martial arts. He built an unbeaten run through Scandinavian regional promotions and Brave Combat Federation before signing directly with the UFC, making his promotional debut in 2020 as a short-notice replacement. He trains out of Allstars Training Center in Stockholm under longtime coach Reza Madadi.

Before focusing on MMA, Chimaev established himself as a three-time Swedish national freestyle wrestling champion and competed in combat sambo and judo, disciplines that underpin the physicality and control he brings into the cage.

Chimaev's game is built around suffocating, wrestling-based grappling. He forces exchanges to the mat with explosive takedowns, smothers opponents with positional control and ground-and-pound, and pairs that base with heavy hands that have produced quick finishes. The combination of speed, strength and finishing instinct has made him one of the more physically imposing competitors in his weight class.

His UFC tenure has included victories over established names such as Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker. He captured the UFC Middleweight Championship with a dominant win over Dricus du Plessis, before the title changed hands to Sean Strickland

Stats last updated: August 09, 2026