Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC is all set to lock horns with Paulo Costa next month at UFC 294. The middleweight event has been a big deal among UFC fans and has pulled a lot of eyes to the pay-per-view. However, a new move on Chimaev’s part is getting quick attention and also a healthy amount of backlash.

The fighter recently made it to the news for changing his country. The Swedish fighter has resolved to move away to a different part of the world and the fans are not happy with him. Many are asking whether this will affect his next fight. Many others are just calling the fighter a sellout. Here’s what happened.

Khamzat Chimaev abandons old country and old gym

Initially, when Khamzat Chimaev was about 18 years old, he moved to Sweden at the suggestion of his brother. The fighter took his time to adjust to the country but would soon become a Swedish national wrestling champion three times. Once in 2015, 2016, and finally in 2018. Now, ‘Borz’ has changed countries one more time and also left his old gym behind.

The fighter has now unfollowed his old gym Allstar Training Center on Instagram. The gym is located in Stockholm, Sweden, miles away from his new gym with Akhmat Fight Club in the UAE. Fans were upset over the move because the fighter had spent years with Allstar. He had trained there since he was 23 years old, and the gym shaped him into the person he is today.

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The move came suddenly and was announced by his manager, Majdi Shammas who said, “He has immigrated. He is no longer Swedish. He wants to immigrate.” Nobody knows exactly why the Chechen decided to move away from his country one more time. Many fans are assuming that he may be getting paid to fight from and represent the United Arab Emirates. While both UAE and Sweden support dual citizenship, it’s unclear whether the fighter will retain his Swede nationality or abandon it altogether. His old gym, however, will not see him fight from its corner again.

What’s next for Chimaev?

Chimaev’s last fight was when he missed weight to fight Nate Diaz. He instead ended up with a win on Kevin Holland because the fight had to be rearranged. Now, he’s slated to face Paulo Costa at UFC 294 as a co-main event. The fighter will obviously now fight representing the UAE instead of Sweden.

Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev Sends Former Training Partner Sean Strickland an Ultimatum – “If You Stay There Man, We’re Coming for You”

Many suspect that the devout Chimaev decided to leave Sweden after the Quran burning in early 2023. The issue raised a lot of backlash on the convicts of the hate crime and national harmony was in unrest. This could be a big reason why Chimaev decided to leave for another country but there is not real clarity just yet. Could it be for money? Could it be for safety? Or maybe it’s just a lifestyle choice? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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