Islamabad, Oct 23: Khamzat Chimaev Dismisses U.S. Travel Ban Rumors Ahead of UFC 308 Return
UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev is set to make his highly anticipated return to the octagon this weekend at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.
The co-main event, which pits Chimaev, sometimes known as Borz, against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, may decide the next contender for the middleweight belt.
Chimaev has responded to recurring claims that he is prohibited from competing in the US because of a travel ban in the run-up to his return. Following a 2023 interview with MMA Fighting in which Jiu-Jitsu coach Alan Nascimento discussed Chimaev’s challenges getting into the United States, purportedly because of his ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, these claims gained momentum.
Khamzat Chimaev, however, denied these allegations in a recent YouTube video, claiming that he is capable of traveling and competing in the United States. “People say a lot of different things, but I don’t think so. I can travel to the US and have been there before, but I’ve had a lot of bad things happen in my life, like getting sick and having surgery, you know,” Chimaev said. Instead of citing travel difficulties, he blamed his absence from the octagon on health concerns.
“I’ve been to England, the UK, the US, and I’m going to go to Australia soon around December, so it can be anywhere,” Chimaev added when discussing his travel experiences. “I don’t know who has a problem with me, the people say a lot of different things, I don’t know,” he said, expressing bewilderment about the rumors.
Khamzat Chimaev’s battle versus Whittaker at UFC 308 is important since it will probably decide who will challenge him for the middleweight belt next. UFC President Dana White has announced that current champion Dricus Du Plessis will likely battle Sean Strickland next year. The victor of Du Plessis-Strickland 2 will have a good chance of facing the winner of the Chimaev-Whittaker fight.
