Khamzat Chimaev keeps his life interesting, and it shows. The fighter first moved to Sweden from his home country of Russia at his brother’s behest. Achieving Swedish citizenship may not have been enough for the star in the long run, it would appear. Now, ‘Borz’ has moved on to become a national of another country.

Recently, Chimaev moved to the United Arab Emirates. While the Swedes allow dual citizenship, it is not yet clear if ‘Borz’ will retain his. With a change in nation comes a change in representation. In his next fight against Paulo Costa, he will be representing the UAE.

All you need to know about Khamzat Chimaev’s switch to the UAE

Earlier this year, the fighter’s manager, Majdi Shammas, made a startling announcement. The Chechen had moved, and it wasn’t clear why. Shammas didn’t have a lot of words to explain it back then either; all he said was, “He has immigrated. He is no longer Swedish. He wants to immigrate.” And that was pretty much the end of it.

The fighter also changed his gyms. In Sweden, he was training under coaches like Andreas Michael at the Allstars Training Center. The gym is also famous for training the Swedish light heavyweight fighter Alexander Gustafsson. Chimaev unfollowed his old gym on Instagram after the move. Now, he trains with the Akhmat Fight Club in the UAE.

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‘Borz’ has also spent an interesting amount of time training in Phuket, Thailand. This was at Tiger Muay Thai, one of the best Muay Thai gyms in the whole world. Stars like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Valentina Shevchenko trained there before. This was right before his Gilbert Burns victory.

Now, the fighter has settled down in the UAE. He hasn’t been very vocal about his move. So far, it would appear that he’s primarily busy beefing with his UFC 294 opponent, Paulo Costa. Costa has also asked Chimaev to leave the UAE forever if he loses the fight. Needless to say, the big fight is all the hype in the UFC right now.

Possible reasons for Chimaev’s exit from Sweden

No reasons for his move have been made public. However, some fans assume it could have something to do with the Quran burnings in Sweden in early 2023. Chimaev is a very devout person and has been for ages. It could be because of this reason, but it’s all just mere speculation.

Khamzat Chimaev Abandons 6 Year Old Partnership in Staggering Move Just Days After Emigrating to UAE

Now, the fighter prepares to make weight and fight Paulo Costa. The co-main event has everyone so hyped that even the main event looks less exciting. Costa recently announced a devastating elbow injury that could put the fight in deep water, but the fighter has promised that he’ll still show up. Will Chimaev’s changed training centers affect his fighting style? We’ll find out on October 21st.

Watch This Story: Khamzat Chimaev Threatens Paulo Costa Ahead Of Their UFC 294 Fight