The newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev stepped off a long-haul flight into Abu Dhabi to scenes of euphoria. Supporters draped in flags, chants echoing across the VIP lounge, and television cameras craning for a glimpse of “Borz” — the hero who had dethroned Dricus du Plessis in Chicago at UFC 319.
But if the crowd and the UFC world were already clamouring for the next fight, the man at the centre of it all chose restraint over bravado.
I have been working hard for eight years for this. I haven’t discussed anything about the future yet. I dedicate this win to my mother; she has been a pillar of strength for me, and now I want to just relax and spend time with the family for the next few days.
A defining victory in Chicago
Saturday’s main event was framed as a clash of unbeatens. Du Plessis, 10-0 and defending his belt for the third time, against Chimaev, also unbeaten, ranked No. 3, and carrying an aura of menace with every takedown.
The bout lived up to its billing — at least for one man. Chimaev imposed his will early, smothering Du Plessis with relentless grappling and ground control. The scorecards reflected domination: a unanimous decision, all three judges marking it 50-44 in Chimaev’s favour.
As the referee raised his hand, Chimaev wrapped himself in the UAE flag. The symbolism was unmistakable. Having received Emirati citizenship in January, he has embraced the UAE as his new home — his ascent aided by the personal support of President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and facilitated by UFC’s close ally Donald Trump, who ensured the fight went ahead in the US.
The body’s warning signs
If UFC president Dana White was quick to dangle the prospect of Chimaev’s next appearance — possibly as soon as UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi this October — his team was far more cautious.
This fight was so important to Chimaev that he has been ignoring injuries to his hand and knee for his past three fights, two of them in Abu Dhabi. He’s been fighting through pain ever since that first fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. Now that he is the champion, there is no rush. He should cure himself fully before stepping back in.
Nascimento pointed out that the middleweight picture could shift in the coming weeks. September’s UFC Paris card, where Nassourdine Imavov takes on Caio Borralho, is seen as a likely eliminator to establish the next challenger. Until then, the champion’s focus, his camp insists, is on healing.
Who dares to challenge Borz?
Speculation, of course, refuses to rest. Within hours of his win, MMA analysts were already weighing up possible opponents. Anthony Hernandez, an emerging force, and Rainer de Ridder, unbeaten in four UFC outings and winner of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi in July, are seen as serious threats to Chimaev’s supremacy. Both, however, would enter the cage as underdogs.
For now, the unbeaten champion remains an enigma. Chechen-born, Swedish-honed, and now representing the UAE, Khamzat Chimaev has stitched together a career that defies borders. His record, now 15-0, carries the weight of inevitability. Yet in his first hours as champion, the message he offered was not of conquest, but of pause.
The champion on his terms
The “Borz” era has begun, but it will move to Chimaev’s rhythm. A fighter who bulldozes opponents in the Octagon is, away from it, a son dedicating victory to his mother, and a man who insists he has earned the right to rest before risking it all again.
The UFC may want him back under the lights in October. The fans may crave it. But the champion has chosen a different path — one that begins with healing, family, and patience.
