Chimaev’s 2025 Ambitions
Khamzat Chimaev: a name synonymous with raw talent, unwavering confidence, and a hint of chaos in the world of mixed martial arts. “Borz,” as he is aptly nicknamed, is one of the UFC’s brightest stars. But with only two fights in two years heading into 2025, Chimaev’s career has been marred by injury woes, weight division indecision, and matchmaking delays. For many other athletes, this might sound like a career standing on shaky legs; however, Chimaev is anything but ordinary. Instead of looking backward, he’s charging straight into the new year with an audacious goal that only he could set with a straight face: become a UFC champion across three divisions.
The Three-Division Dream
If you’ve followed the UFC, you know the monumental mountain Chimaev is looking to climb. Only a handful of fighters in history have ever captured titles in two divisions. The ambitious Swede has taken it one step further, declaring his intention to conquer welterweight (170 lbs), middleweight (185 lbs), and light heavyweight (205 lbs). Yes, you read that righthe intends to become a triple champ in 2025.
Speaking with audacious conviction during an interview, Chimaev laid it all out:
“Why not? Nobody has done it before, but I will. I’m not here just to fight boring fights. I’ll take the belt in three divisions, Insha’Allah.”
He’s not just aiming to win; he wants to rewrite history in permanent ink.
The Roadblocks on the Golden Path
While Chimaev’s fiery rhetoric is certainly exciting, reality paints a far more complex picture. After spending most of 2024 recovering from injuries and tied up with lengthy negotiations, questions about his durability and consistency have dogged even his most loyal fans. And let’s not forget the logistical challengesweight cutting and jumping between three vastly different divisions aren’t just physical hurdles but administrative nightmares in their own right.
1. Welterweight: A Heavyweight Problem
Chimaev may be a natural welterweight, but his troubling weight-cutting history looms large. His infamously botched weigh-in fiasco at UFC 279 in 2022 raised eyebrowsand for good reason. Missing weight by a comical 7.5 pounds was a red flag for his discipline, and critics have scoffed at the possibility of him consistently making 170 in the future. Still, his domination against smaller opponents like Li Jingliang showcased why, if he can stay on weight, he remains a dangerous contender for the division’s crown.
2. Middleweight: The Sweet Spot
In many ways, middleweight is where Chimaev looks the most comfortable. His physique matches up well against the current roster, and his win against Kevin Holland showcased how lethal his grappling game is when unhindered by severe weight cuts. But middleweight has never been short of killers at the topnames like Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, and Dricus Du Plessis could stand in his way.
3. Light Heavyweight: From Predator to Prey?
The most eyebrow-raising element of his vision lies in the light heavyweight division. At 205 pounds, he will face towering gladiators with natural size, power, and experience advantages. Sure, Chimaev doesn’t shy away from adversity, but taking on behemoths like Jiri Prochazka or Jamahal Hill is a far cry from manhandling a welterweight contender in a grappling clinic.
Chimaev vs. The Critics
Not everyone is buying what Chimaev is selling. Many MMA insiders and fans see his statements as nothing more than self-promotional rhetoric, pointing to his inactivity and tumultuous past few years as evidence that these claims are premature. So far, he has only fought a single top-tier opponentGilbert Burnsin a nail-biter back in 2022. And yet, Chimaev thrives in the chaos of doubt.
This skepticism, however, fuels him. Whether it’s his relentless social media taunts or his mind-boggling gym stories, Chimaev thrives as a lightning rod of attention. He’s made it clear that legacy is his only focus, stating in interviews:
“Belts and history. That’s all I care about. I don’t care who doubts me.”
The UFC’s Role: Friend or Foe?
While Chimaev remains the central architect of his lofty ambitions, the UFC’s matchmaking machine must facilitate opportunities for him to fulfill them. Triple champ status doesn’t happen without timing, favoritism, and blessings from Dana White himself. In this regard, Chimaev’s volatility could be as much a hindrance as his greatest weapon. Will the UFC gamble on his star power? Or will they grow frustrated with his unpredictability?
A few telling scenarios loom on the horizon. If Chimaev’s 2025 plans are to take off, he’ll need to remain active and injury-free for three to four fights over the course of the year. That’s no small ask for any fighter, let alone one who’s experienced the stop-and-start career trajectory that Chimaev has had recently.
Can “Borz” Beat the Odds?
Every great fighter has their moment where they turn doubt into legend. Chimaev has not only embraced this narrative but supercharged it. At a time when fighters are more conservative than ever, the audacity of Chimaev’s vision feels like a throwback to the era of brash, risk-taking competitors. Think Conor McGregor’s rise but injected with the brute force of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s grappling dominance.
But the million-dollar question still lingers: can “Borz” back up his gargantuan talk? The MMA world is watching, critics are skeptical, and fans are split between believing in the next great chapter of UFC history or gearing up for more disappointment. Regardless, when Khamzat Chimaev speaks, people listenand there’s an electric sense of unpredictability in the air.
If nothing else, Chimaev’s 2025 ambitions speak to the essence of what makes the UFC so captivating: the belief that the impossible might just be possible.
