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Khamzat Chimaev Has a Message for Gervonta Davis After Boxer Confirms Name Change Following Conversion to Islam, Joining the Likes of Muhammad Ali

Published 12/29/2023, 1:16 AM EST

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via Imago

Just a few days ago, Gervonta Davis converted to Islam. His step caught many off-guard as he was raised a Christian. But people are happy for him and several big names from the world of combat sports welcomed him to his new faith. His fans were also waiting to know if he also took up a Muslim name. As per the latest reports, he has done so.

The Baltimore boxer went through with the ceremonies to assume a new faith and a new name. Hence, UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev too took the opportunity to congratulate the boxer as well as share his new name.

Khamzat Chimaev welcomes Davis into Islam

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‘Borz’ is currently awaiting his next fight in the UFC. However, he found some time to give a shout-out to Davis. As part of this new chapter in Davis’s life, he also adopted the name Abdul Wahid, which means ‘The Slave of the One’.

Chimaev is also a devout Muslim and as the news caught his eye, he took to his Instagram stories to put up a picture of the boxer and wrote “Abdul Vahid Alhamdulillah” for its caption.

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The ceremony called the Shahada took place at Masjid Al-Hidaayah in Woodlawn, Maryland. While Davis has yet to legally change his name, he has accepted the name as his own. He is also yet to publicly comment on his decision to convert to Islam. Is he following in the footsteps of the all-time greatest, Muhammad Ali?

via Imago

Ali converted to Islam in 1964 and adopted his name, which would go on to be written in the books of history. But for Ali, it was a different convention. He wanted to leave behind a name- Cassius Clay- that was given to him because of racist practices that were prevalent.

His conversion to Islam angered his critics back then. Owing to his new faith, Ali refused to serve in Vietnam- a decision that cost him his titles and career. However, his grandson is now making a lot of noise in combat sports and taking ahead Ali’s legacy.

Biaggio Ali Walsh is making waves in MMA; the sport that brought him closer to God

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It’s not easy to come from a name that is unmistakable even outside its sport. Muhammad Ali commands a respect no one could ever deny. So when Biaggio Ali Walsh transitioned from football to MMA, the pressure was as intense as expected.

He’s now signed with the PFL, where he’s tearing through the lightweight division with knockout after knockout. Clearly, the power in his hands comes from a place we’re all too familiar with. But he prefers MMA over boxing because of how versatile it is. The fighter also shared that the sport brought him closer to God. “In a sport like MMA, I think it’s very important to have a very strong relationship with God because you’re going in there and you don’t know if you could die.”

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Although he grew up Muslim, he once expressed he didn’t know much about the religion. But when he read the Quran, he realized that having a good relationship with God was more important than material success.

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Written by:

Prit Chauhan

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I'm Prit Chauhan, and I'm a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. I've been in the writing business for three years, covering areas like mass media marketing, and even tried my hand at fiction. My experience includes research work at the University of California, Berkeley, which helps me spin fact-based stories about the world of Mixed Martial Arts effortlessly.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das