It seems that Khamzat Chimaev is not finished fighting after all.
While an enigmatic Instagram post on Monday left doubts as to whether the fast-growing prospect would continue its run in the octagon, UFC President Dana White said that Chimaev – who is currently in Las Vegas receiving treatment for a persistent COVID case -19 – had an exciting time but is not ready to call it a career.
“When he got here, doctors took care of him and gave him prednisone, which is a disgusting steroid,” White told MMA Junkie. “He’s taking prednisone and he must take this thing and relax, recover and recover. He was ef * cking trained today, he felt like shit, and he got super emotional and posted it.
“He shouldn’t be training, but you know, this guy is a savage. He wants to fight like every shit weekend, and now he can’t even train, so he got emotional and posted it, but he won’t give up. “
Originally posted in Russian, a translation of Chimaev’s text on Google certainly gave the impression that he was ready to retire. Add photos on Instagram Stories of what looks like blood in a sink, and the condition clearly didn’t look positive for the 26-year-old prospect (
I want to thank everyone for their support in my trajectory in this sport я I think I finished, yes, I know I didn’t take the belt, but this isn’t the most important victory of life, it can bore you, but my heart and body tell me everything .
I want to thank my team very much @allstarsgymsweden 🙏🏼
I want to say a big thank you @ufc 🙏🏼
Chimaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz did not immediately respond to MMA Junkie’s request for comment. However, White said he spoke directly to Chimaev and said he still believes that the Chechen-born fighter will make his return to the Octagon in June.
First, however, he must follow the doctor’s orders.
“He was flown here so we could take care of him,” said White. “We take care of him. They put him on medication. He’s going to be fine, and he comes in and starts fucking training. He shouldn’t be training and is super frustrated.
“He is training when he should be resting. He has to stay off, at least while he is taking this medication. “
Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was in action for the last time in September, when he knocked out middleweight Gerald Meerschaert for 17 seconds. The victory marked Chimaev’s third undefeated UFC win in his first two months on the roster.