Khamzat Chimaev has looked and sounded vastly different in the week leading up to his fight against Robert Whittaker in the co-main event of UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, than he has since he joined the UFC during the pandemic in 2020.
In those days, Chimaev was bold, brash and outspoken. He carried Li Jingliang, a respected welterweight, over to UFC CEO Dana White before slamming him hard onto the canvas. As he pummeled Jingliang, he carried on a conversation with White.
He became a sensation for his quick wins, his ability to avoid any damage and, of course, his bold and occasionally outrageous trash talk. Chimaev is the guy who introduced the word "smesh" into the lexicon.
Since fighting three times in his first two months in the UFC, he's been significantly less active. A serious bout with COVID-19 and, later, a weakened immune system has led him to only fight four times in the four-plus years since.
In June, he withdrew from a scheduled fight with Whittaker due to repeated hospitalizations.
But as he prepares to fight Whittaker, he's still brimming with confidence. No longer, though, does he seem about to explode and go over the edge. He is relaxed and confident as he faces his biggest challenge.
"He's been champ before and like you said, he's an elite athlete," Chimaev said of Whittaker. "He's one of the best guys I'm going to face. But I think I'm the best guy in the world right now and so that's why I'm ready for that."
Chimaev is an elite wrestler who hits tremendously hard. It's why he is a -245 favorite at DraftKings sportsbook, so there are a lot of people who still believe in him.
Whittaker, who fought Ikram Aliskerov in June and stopped him in the first after Chimaev pulled out, isn't one to go down easily. He wasn't intimidated by Yoel Romero when Romero was at his peak, and he's not intimidated by Chimaev. He's an all-around fighter who has the wrestling, grappling and striking to compete with the best in the world on even terms.
Whittaker respects Chimaev, but he won't simply let him dictate the pace and steal momentum. Whittaker promised to bring the fight to Chimaev.
“I definitely have faith in my striking ability and the fact that I'm going to go in there and I’m going to hunt [Khamzat] down," Whittaker said. "I'm going to take the fight to him. I don't think he'll be able to stand up to that. I think my wrestling defense and the caliber of my striking is going to give him [a difficult] night. I can also fight from the first second through to the 25th minute. So I hope he's ready, because I am."
Chimaev is coming off a split decision victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, 2023.
Usman understands Whittaker is going to pose a challenge, but he has learned to greatly respect Chimaev. When Usman took the momentum and was landing strikes, Chimaev didn't panic and was able to take Usman down to slow his momentum.
That clearly got Usman's attention.
"If I had to bet, I would still go with Khamzat just because I like the guy and he is one of those guys I think is special," Usman said. "But if anybody can prove that wrong, this fight with [Whittaker] is as clear of a test as he's going to get."
Usman dismissed the notion that Chimaev was merely a media creation who thrived on weaker competition. He pointed out that the hype around Chimaev kept building because Chimaev has kept winning.
Chimaev is now 7-0 in the UFC and has beaten Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland and Usman in his last three.
Usman pointed out that there was plenty of hype surrounding Hector Lombard when he signed with the UFC, but Lombard didn't win.
"Look, the hype is created based upon how he's continuously doing his work," Usman said. "There was a ton of hype on Hector when he left Bellator and came into the UFC and what happened? He fought Tim Boetsch and Tim Boetsch derailed it. There is a lot of hype until it's stopped. For him, there has been a lot of hype, but he's kept living up to it.
"When you get to the top of the mountain, those guys are just as tough. Those guys are just as hungry and those guys are just as good. And when he fought me and him finding a way to pull it out, that's what champions are made of."
Chimaev seems relaxed as his big night nears, but have no doubt, the pressure is now on his shoulders.
Whittaker is No. 3 in the middleweight rankings, and Chimaev could vault himself up near the top with a win. He's ranked 13th at middleweight.
Beating Whittaker, though, is no easy task, and Whittaker himself has plenty of motivation. He lost his title to Israel Adesanya in 2019 but has remained at the top of the division in the five years since. Don't doubt he has a burning desire to wrap that belt around his waist again.
Chimaev, though, as always, is confident. The stakes are high as the winner has a good shot to be next in line for a title shot against champion Dricus Du Plessis following ex-champion Sean Strickland. Chimaev vows to be ready to meet the moment.
"Just watch," he said. "You'll see. Just watch."