Khamzat Chimaev may be gunning for UFC gold, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take over another arena, too! Just months out from his highly anticipated middleweight title clash against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319, ‘Borz’ has dipped his claws into the $365.7 billion apparel market. Not through designer suits or cologne ads like Conor McGregor, but in his own unique style.

In partnership with the fan-favorite brand ‘Full Violence’, Chimaev has launched a gritty, unapologetic collection of shirts that scream war. In the teaser video shared on Instagram, the caption read, “Khamzat Chimaev lives for this.” The Chechen warrior is featured standing atop a cliff, wearing his own face in a t-shirt as he growls, “I am Khamzat Chimaev, I live for this.”

From there, the screen cuts to him showing off multiple designs as he shadow-boxes and runs on the hilly terrain. The statement is loud, proud, and perfect for a man who has mauled his way to a spotless 14-0 record. One shirt even takes a direct jab at his most recent win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The fight? It barely lasted the first round as ‘Borz’ secured a takedown almost immediately and forced Whittaker to tap out with a brutal face-crank.

In a statement after the fight, the Australian wrote, “I felt great, everything was on point and I was ready. My jaw is good, but my teeth were moved in. It’s a good excuse to fix them properly now.”

Now it’s become a cartoon design in his apparel line, featuring Chimaev as a dentist under the banner ‘Borz Dental Group’ and the tagline “We fix what we break. Call 1-800-Smesh.” After all, the ‘Full Violence’ brand is no stranger to riding the waves behind the fighters they collaborate with. With a bio that reads “Built by fans. Backed by fighters,” they’ve already earned street cred by signing names like Charles Oliveira and Cory Sandhagen.

But landing Chimaev is their equivalent of signing a blockbuster action hero in his prime. Another design features the words “Chechen Psycho” written over his intense stare inside the Octagon. There’s also a shirt that calls him the “Leader of the Wolfpack,” echoing his nickname ‘Borz’, meaning wolf in Chechen.

Let’s not forget, the U.S. apparel market isn’t just big, it’s a beast. In 2025 alone, it’s expected to generate a staggering $365.7 billion in revenue, according to Statista. What’s more? Each American is projected to spend over $1,000 on clothing this year. And with 32.7 billion pieces expected to be sold by 2029, it’s clear, this market is only getting hungrier.

And just like that, Khamzat Chimaev is no longer just a contender. He’s a brand. With a title shot against ‘Stillknocks’ on the horizon, he stands at the edge of taking the next step towards superstardom. But all of that hinges on whether he manages to dethrone the South African, and according to a UFC veteran, he might be in for a rude awakening come UFC 319!

UFC veteran hands Khamzat Chimaev a warning about getting ‘fraud checked’ by Dricus Du Plessis

Khamzat Chimaev has the aura and the undefeated record to back up his ‘boogeyman’ status in the middleweight division. But when the Octagon door shuts at UFC 319, will all of that still matter? According to former UFC fighter Josh Thomson, fans might be overestimating the “Borz” brand. Speaking on ‘We Want Picks’ on YouTube, Thomson stated, “How bad is he … or is he good? We’re gonna find out when he fights DDP. I’ve said this for the longest time, the sample size is not big enough for me with Chimaev. It’s just not big enough. Are we giving him too much credit?”

Chimaev is currently 8-0 in the UFC. But as Thomson indicated, the Chechen contender has only fought twice in the past 2 years. Once in 2023 and once in 2024, and has been plagued by long layoffs and mysterious illnesses. As such, despite being ranked no. 3 in the middleweight division, questions around his consistency still linger.

Thomson even confessed that the comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev may not be warranted, yet. He explained, “We associate the two things, they are not the same. Khabib didn’t get tired. Is [Chimaev] as good as we think? Or we getting a fraud check here with DDP?”

‘Borz’s list of past opponents was also scrutinized by the UFC veteran, who dismissed them as either fading or compromised. But the bigger question? Thomson pondered, “He’s fantastic when he’s the hammer, I’m not denying that, but what is he like when ‘boom’ all of the sudden he gets cracked? Is Chimaev that guy? Does he fold? Does he break? I’m leaning more towards he does.”

To wrap things up, Khamzat Chimaev has muscled his way into fashion racks and UFC title talks in the same breath. But the swagger in a t-shirt doesn’t guarantee survival in a five-round war. Thomson’s doubts aren’t just noise. They echo what many have whispered: Can Chimaev go the distance? Or will Du Plessis end up dragging the ‘Wolf’ to deep waters and drowning him at UFC 319? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!