UFC phenom Khamzat Chimaev finally addresses the rumor that he can’t fight in the United States due to travel ban

Khamzat Chimaev addresses rumor that he’s not allowed to fight in the US

In a 2023 interview with MMA Fighting, Jiu-Jitsu coach Alan Nascimento disclosed that Khamzat Chimaev was experiencing difficulties in entering the United States; with the prevailing theory that the athlete was barred due to his close ties with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov.

Speaking with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri via the SHAK MMA YouTube channel ahead of his comeback fight at UFC 308, Chimaev claimed that he’s free to travel and compete in the United States.

“I don’t think so, people say a lot of different s*** things… I’ve been to the US and can come to the US, but a lot of s*** things happen in my life with being sick and surgeries, you know.

“That’s why I’ve been fighting not like before [when it was] all the time, and [with] Abu Dhabi being close to me, I just want to jump in and fight there.”

Chimaev has so far fought seven times under the UFC banner; twice in Las Vegas, once in Florida, and four times in Abu Dhabi.

“I’ve been to England, the UK, I’ve been to the US and I’m going to go to Australia soon around December so it can be anywhere,” continued Chimaev, adding: “I don’t know who has a problem with me, the people say a lot of different things, I don’t know.”

In a separate interview conducted by Kevin Iole published just a few hours later, Chimaev would be asked again whether he’s able to compete in the UFC in the United States, “Of course.”

Chimaev speaks on his illness ahead re-booked clash with Whittaker

Chimaev and Whittaker were originally meant to fight earlier this year; however, the grappling specialist was forced to withdraw from the bout after a mystery illness left him hospitalized.

“Nobody works like me, six hours every day in the gym just killing myself, but no recovery, no rest for two months; that’s why I got so sick,” Chimaev explained in the aforementioned interview with Iole.

“I’ve been in hospital many times and after, when I come out, I couldn’t wait – went to the gym again and got sick again – that wasn’t smart from my side.

“Now, I work a different way and being in the mountains, on one of the highest mountains in Europe… We’ve had a good camp there, focused on the training.”

As part of the training camp for Whittaker, Chimaev and his team brought in Olympic gold medal-winning freestyle wrestler Razambek Zhamalov to help sharpen his tools.

Zhamalov won gold in the men’s 75kg category at the Paris Games and could represent the difference between winning and losing Chimaev’s return fight at UFC 308.

“You can learn a lot from such a master and adopt the enormous experience that he has,” the UFC fighter wrote in an Instagram post.

“Razambek is a very bright, spectacular and competent fighter who has shown us some tricks from his arsenal that will surely benefit each of us.”

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