Khamzat Chimaev, the rising star in the UFC, has found himself at the center of a growing controversy after his recent actions have drawn criticism from fans and observers alike.
Just 20 days ago, Chimaev, known as “Borz,” had to pull out of his scheduled fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia, citing a severe illness that required hospitalization. Fans were left puzzled when the Russian subsequently shared training videos, appearing to be in good health.
The latest incident that has fueled the backlash is a clip that surfaced, showing Chimaev engaged in a mismatch sparring against a Russian influencer. The UFC superstar went all out, delivering a merciless beating to the untrained wannabe, leaving fans questioning his decision to do so.
One fan expressed confusion, wondering how Chimaev could be so ill just weeks ago that he had to withdraw from a major fight, yet now seemed perfectly healthy and willing to unleash such a onslaught on an unsuspecting opponent.
Similar to the criticism surrounding the Sean Strickland and Sneako sparring video, some fans believed it was wrong for Chimaev to dish out such excessive punishment to an untrained individual.
This is not the only controversy surrounding Chimaev. Fans have also accused him of being involved in a cryptocurrency scam, claiming he promoted the Smash token, which subsequently crashed in value shortly after his promotional video.
Chimaev’s team has since released a statement, denying his direct involvement in the Smash token project. They claim that Chimaev’s manager was the one who spoke to the Smash token team and instructed them to create the promotional video, but the UFC fighter himself was not directly involved in the process.
Nevertheless, this incident, coupled with Chimaev’s previous disciplinary issues, such as showing up overweight and repeatedly pulling out of scheduled bouts, has led many fans to question his professionalism and reliability.
If Chimaev does not address these concerns and improve his public relations, he runs the risk of being labeled as one of the biggest “what ifs” in combat sports, with his immense talent potentially overshadowed by his off-field controversies.
