Kuumar Shyam/WAM (Abu Dhabi)
His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed world champion Khamzat Chimaev on Monday at Zayed International Airport, following Chimaev’s victory in the UFC 319 main event in Chicago, where he claimed the UFC Middleweight World Title after defeating South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis.
His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed congratulated Chimaev on his historic achievement and praised his determination, discipline, and world-class performance, which led to his first middleweight world title and extended his undefeated record to 15 wins.
His Highness also emphasised the continued support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the close follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, in fostering sports excellence and global competitiveness among Emirati athletes.
Chimaev expressed his deep appreciation for the UAE’s leadership, particularly His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, for his steadfast support of combat sports and for creating an environment that enables athletes to thrive on the international stage. He also extended heartfelt thanks to His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed for the warm welcome and personal congratulations.
A Hero’s Welcome
Chimaev, the newly crowned UFC middleweight champion, has poured water on high hopes of his availability for the next fight – in his adopted country, the UAE, in October.
Within hours of a dominant victory over Dricus du Plessis in the main bout of the UFC 319 card in Chicago, US, a jet-lagged Chimaev arrived to a hero’s welcome in Abu Dhabi on Monday, as talk of his next fight hogged the headlines in the world of mixed martial arts.
“I have been working hard for eight years for this. I haven’t discussed anything about the future yet. I dedicate this win to my mother; she has been a pillar of strength for me, and now I want to just relax and spend time with the family for the next few days,” said Chimaev.
Billed as a battle between the undefeated UFC middleweights before this, Du Plessis (10-0) put his belt on the line for the third time on Saturday against Chimaev (10-0), the No 3-ranked contender. Chimaev, 31, scored a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards, smothering Du Plessis with his grappling – all three judges scoring the fight 50 to 44 in his favour.
Chechen by birth and having lived in Sweden for 13 years, Chimaev acquired Emirati citizenship in January this year. The fighter draped himself in the UAE flag after his win in the US.
Chimaev said he hasn’t spoken to UFC President Dana White, who was quoted after the Chicago fight as saying that they will decide soon on the next opponent for Chimaev if the latter is ready to take on another fight in two months’ time in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. Chimaev’s camp is no hurry, though. His coach Alan Nascimento said: “This fight was so important to Chimaev, that he has ignoring injuries to his hand and knee for his past three fights (two of which were in Abu Dhabi). He has been fighting through pain ever since that first fight against Kamaru Usman [at UFC 294] and has not fully treated his symptoms (sic).
“Now that he is the champion, there is no rush, and he should first cure himself fully. In any case, in September at UFC Paris, Nassourdine Imavov battles Caio Borralho in a potential No. 1 contender’s bout. That should make the picture clearer, but only after that will there be anything to think about,” the Brazilian coach said.
Chimaev also said he will see how he feels with his knee before taking on the next fight. A report in Telecom Asia Sport quoted Du Plessis’ coach Morne Visser ruling out a rematch demand.