Khamzat Chimaev

Overview

Nine straight UFC wins, five of them finished in the first round, and then a loss that went the full five. Khamzat Chimaev, "Borz," fights at middleweight and carries a 9-1 UFC record (15-1-0 across all promotions) into whatever comes next.

Six of the nine wins ended early: two by KO/TKO, four by submission. Four of the wins came against opponents our model rates as elite. That's not a prospect's résumé padded with soft touches.

The one defeat is the interesting part. It came in a title fight, over five rounds, on the scorecards.

UFC Career

The run started fast. In July 2020 he submitted John Phillips in round 2 at 1:12, and ten days later he knocked out Rhys McKee in round 1 at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till. Two fights in ten days. In September of that year he finished Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds of round 1.

The step up came at UFC 267 in October 2021, where he submitted Li Jingliang in round 1 at 3:16. Our model tiers Li as a strong opponent.

Then the elite names arrived. At UFC 273 in April 2022 he beat Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision, going the distance for the first time. In September 2022 he submitted Kevin Holland in round 1 at 2:13. A majority decision over Kamaru Usman followed at UFC 294 in October 2023.

At UFC 308 in October 2024 he submitted Robert Whittaker in round 1 at 3:34. Another elite opponent, another first-round finish.

Next came the title fight against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025: five rounds, unanimous decision, a win. It was the longest fight of his career to that point.

At UFC 328 in May 2026 he fought Sean Strickland in another title fight, again over five rounds. This time the judges split, and Strickland took it. It's his only UFC loss, and he carries a one-fight losing streak into his next outing.

Nine wins. One split-decision loss. Both of his title fights went the full five rounds.

Fighting Style

Chimaev is a grappler first. He shoots for takedowns far more than most UFC fighters, he is very hard to take down himself, and he hunts for submissions once the fight hits the mat.

He is no pure wrestler, though. He lands a lot as a striker, hits what he aims at, and takes less in return than most. Defense is the one area that sits near the UFC average.

The finish pattern is early and decisive. Five of his six finishes came in round 1, and the other came in round 2. Four were submissions and two were knockouts. Fights that went the distance are the exception: three wins by decision, plus a decision loss.

Notable Wins

• Robert Whittaker — submission, round 1 (3:34), UFC 308 (2024)
• Dricus Du Plessis — unanimous decision, five rounds, UFC 319 title fight (2025)
• Kamaru Usman — majority decision, UFC 294 (2023)
• Gilbert Burns — unanimous decision, UFC 273 (2022)

Quick Facts

• Division: Middleweight
• UFC record: 9-1 (6 finishes)
• Professional record (all promotions): 15-1-0
• UFC debut: 2020
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height: 6'2"; reach: 75"
• Team: TKMMA Fit, Akhmat MMA