The highly anticipated UFC 308 event has finally received its co-main event of the night and it is a banger of a fight. It will be a clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Robert Whittaker in the middleweight division. The pair was scheduled to face each other at UFC Fight Night in June, but ‘Borz’ pulled out of the clash in the last minute because of a serious illness. The fans are super excited to witness the undefeated Chimaev back in action again. His fight at UFC 308 holds utmost importance as a win would help him get closer to the title feels former UFC champion.

30-year-old Khamzat Chimaev is one of the few fighters in the UFC who is currently on an unbeaten run. However, he has yet to live up to the expectations. The Chechen fighter last fought at UFC 294 in October 2023 and since then has not featured in any more clashes because of health reasons. Once considered as the #1 contender in the division, Chimaev will now have to work his way back to the top.

Despite showing his willingness for a title shot at UFC 308, the UFC has yet to grant him his wish. While he may not have got a title shot now, Daniel Cormier knows how he can get that. While speaking to Chael Sonnen on the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ show, Cormier reflected on the condition that can force Dana White to hand Khamzat Chimaev a title fight.

“If he can get to this one if he beats Robert Whittaker, I don’t know that the UFC will be able to not give him a title fight. And if he wins, I believe Chimaev will be clearly the number one contender,” claimed the 45-year-old.

Cormier also pointed out why Chimaev has been pulling out of his fights. One of the biggest reasons is over-training, as ‘DC’ said, “He trains hard Chael because he trains hard, his body’s not holding up. So he’s getting sick and that is why he has had to pull out of the fights”. However, beating Whittaker will be one of the toughest tasks for the Chechen fighter. The former champion is fresh off a victory in his last fight and is high on confidence.

However, the 30-year-old is not worried about his opponent and is working on his fitness. It seems he is up and ready for the challenge as Arman Tsarukyan recently gave an update about his physical condition.

Khamzat Chimaev is looking sharp in training as revealed by Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev are currently fighting their battle outside the Octagon. Both fighters are a part of the ‘Hype Reality’ show as coaches of their respective teams. But despite being rival coaches, they have been training together to keep themselves in prime shape. When Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of his clash against ‘The Reaper’ because of an illness, many felt it was the end of his career. However, the 30-year-old Chechnyan-born Emirati fighter is working back to full fitness and has impressed ‘Ahalkalakets’.

During an interview with ‘Submission Radio’, the #1 lightweight contender shared his opinion on Chimaev. Tsarukyan said, “He looks so good. He’s in shape, and yeah, for sure, I believe he’s gonna win [against] Robert Whittaker.” The lightweight fighter also made predictions about Chimaev’s next move and predicted that he would win the title after UFC 308.

“After that fight, he can fight for the title. He’s going to be a champion, for sure,” added Tsarukyan. Khamzat Chimaev always had the potential to become a champion in the UFC. However, his next fight will be one of the toughest of his career.

Do you think ‘Borz’ can win his fight at UFC 308 against ‘The Reaper’? Let us know your prediction in the comments below.