Khamzat Chimaev was supposed to compete in the UFC Saudi Arabia fight card against Robert Whittaker. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw at the last moment and now the reason has come to light. The fighter with 13-0 MMA, and 7-0 UFC was severely ill.

While the reason for his illness was not disclosed by the UFC CEO Dana White, Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas came forward to reveal what the fighter was suffering from. He debunked the retirement scare the fans had due to Chimaev’s withdrawal.

Khamzat Chimaev’s manager reveals reason behind sickness

Shammas revealed on Instagram that the fighter was suffering from food poisoning due to which he had to withdraw from the fight. The same was reported on Redcorner MMA’s Instagram page.

Chimaev’s manager wrote an elaborate note on the state of ‘Borz.’ He was battling illness all through his training camp and had to go to the hospital several times. The team tried their best to find a solution to the problem, but the food poisoning was getting out of hand and Chimaev could not fight the sickness well enough to feature against Whittaker.

Meanwhile, Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov, a pro-MMA fighter, told Ushatayka, “Khamzat had food poisoning. I’ve been told by my close friends. It happens, we can all get sick or injured. Food poisoning is always dangerous, accepting a fight with food poisoning… He knew his state, [knew] that he wouldn’t be able to fight. That’s why he called it off.”

Even Chimaev’s friend and lightweight fighter Guram Kutateladze posted a picture on his Instagram story where Chimaev could be seen lying on the hospital bed.

After a record-breaking start to his UFC career in 2020, Chimaev has been in many fights that were canceled. He last fought Kamaru Usman in UFC 294 in 2023. However, after his manager’s clarification, one thing is for sure Chimaev is not retiring as his fans feared.

Khamzat Chimaev is not retiring

Since 2020, the middleweight fighter has been suffering from a lot of illnesses. After suffering Covid 19 and skin infections, he has now suffered food poisoning. It was a shock when reports emerged that ‘Borz’ was indeed done fighting due to his sickness. But, his team clarified it all.

Apart from a clarification on Instagram, Chimaev’s manager again emphasized during an interview with TASS that the Emirati fighter was not going anywhere and would pursue his career as an MMA fighter. However, Borz has not shared a word since he is recuperating from his illness.

It has been just a few days since Chimaev pulled out of the Saudi Arabia event. The fans will be keen to hear from the fighter himself. What do you think about Chimaev’s future? Let us know in the comments.