Khamzat Chimaev does not fear death.
Exploding onto the scene in 2020, 'Borz' will look to add a UFC title to his resume when he challenges reigning and defending middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 this Saturday, August 16, in Chicago.
After winning his first three fights UFC in the span of eight weeks, Chimaev appeared to be on the fast track to fame, fortune, and gold. Sadly, his mometum was halted due to an especially bad bout with COVID-19. The illness was so extreme that the undefeated Chechen monster was contemplating retirement.
Fortunately, Chimaev made a full recovery returned to the UFC 13 months later, but 'Borz' was fully prepared to meet his maker.
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I believe in God, so I wanna meet Him as well. Life is going really fast — I'm already 31," Chimaev told ESPN. "I remember being 6 or 7 years old, and it feels like yesterday. I believe in God, so do good things before I meet Him. If you're not ready to die when it comes, you'll be scared. Maybe my thinking about that made me who I am today.
Will Khamzat Chimaev's reign of terror continue at UFC 319?
Since making his return, Chimaev has added five more wins to his resume, none more impressive than his horrifying first-round submission victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. That on top of big wins over Kevin Holland and Kamaru Usman moved Chimaev into the No. 3 spot in the middleweight rankings, setting the stage for his highly anticipated clash with du Plessis in 'Chi-Town.'
Overall, Chimaev is 14-0 in his mixed martial arts career with an 85% finish rate -- five KOs and seven submissions. He enters Saturday's scrap with the South African sensation as a 2-to-1 favorite to leave 'The Windy City' with the 185-pound crown.
