UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev appeared untouchable during his early days, having absorbed only 1 strike in his first 5 UFC fights. That statistic was turned upside down in his 6th fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, where he took 119 strikes in a fierce showdown. Although Chimaev ultimately won the bout, it was a close fight that went the distance.

That was when Chimaev first showed signs of struggle, even though ‘Borz’ is not one to back down from challenges. In fact, his recent LHW superfight callout to Alex Pereira solidifies his persona as a fearless challenger. However, in a rare moment of admission, Chimaev has stepped out of his charade to address the Kamaru Usman bout.

Khamzat Chimaev name drops one of the hardest fights of his UFC career

In a video clip shared by Red Corner MMA, Chimaev could be seen as a guest in a wrestling seminar surrounded by kids. That’s when the conversation steered over to Chimaev’s hardest UFC fight between Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman. While both bouts were razor-close and electrifying in their own right, Chimaev’s answer stunned the prying audience.

“Every fight is hard. Every fight is hard because you train hard. In the cage, it’s not crazy hard, it’s like 15 minutes, 25 minutes, it’s going fast in the cage,” Chimaev explained. According to ‘Borz’, the Octagon is just 1% of the fight, and the lead-in training is what truly decides whether a fight becomes an easy affair or turns into a narrow escape.

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That’s exactly what levelled up the difficulty of his fight with Kamaru Usman, as he added, “Because I moved from Sweden to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, before Usman’s fight, that’s why it was harder for me to train because I didn’t have a good team around me, just some friends. That’s why that fight was difficult for me.”

Indeed, as the fighter transitioned from Allstars Training Center (Sweden) under coach Andreas Michael to the UAE, Chimaev was propelled out of the structured championship-level gym. Without a proper camp or an elite MMA team at his back to push him forward, Chimaev was forced to mostly train with his friends.

That disruption in training proved to be a vital roadblock in his path to glory against Usman. Moreover, Usman stepped in on a short 10-day notice to replace Paulo Costa; Chimaev barely had time to prepare for his new opponent. However, that was not the only obstacle he had to overcome before getting his hand raised after the match.

Khamzat Chimaev was convinced he broke his right hand en route to UFC 294 victory

In just his first big fight against one of the fiercest welterweights in the UFC roster, Chimaev put up a spectacle of a show, despite having a less extensive UFC career. However, that win came with a dear price for Chimaev to pay before getting the win via majority decision.

Right as the bell rang for the first round, both fighters threw a fury of shots. Chimaev came in strong with an immediate takedown attempt and relentless strikes. However, after multiple failed submission attempts and absorbing piercing blows from Usman, ‘Borz’ finally edged out the bout. But the damage was already done.

Immediately after the round, Chimaev spoke to ESPN about his concerns about having broken his right hand in the first round. The physical wear was evident as the fight progressed, culminating in truly one of Chimaev’s most difficult fights.

While his manager, Majdi Shammas, confirmed that the damage wasn’t to the extent he worried about, Chimaev suffered a torn ligament. That put the fighter in braces for nearly two months with no surgery required. However, this goes on to affirm the Dagestani’s own words about one of his most taxing UFC bouts.

Despite disrupted preparation and a short-notice opponent swap, Khamzat Chimaev proved his grit by overcoming adversity and edging out one of the greatest champions in UFC history, even if that cost him an arm and a leg. Do you believe this to be one of the greatest middleweight fights ever? Or does the Burns bout still hold the cake?