Dana White Gives Update on Khamzat Chimaev's Absence From MMA
UFC President Dana White told reporters that Khamzat Chimaev has been experiencing "personal" problems, which is why the Chechen fighter has been largely absent from the sport since fighting Kevin Holland at UFC 279 on September 10, 2022.
White explained Chimaev's situation during an interview with TSN on May 7:
"[His absence is] on him. He's got stuff going on in his personal life. Obviously, you know how it goes here [in the UFC]. I talk about this stuff all the time, we have to get guys three fights a year, so if we don't get guys three fights a year, we have to pay them. The only way that wouldn't happen is if they have personal stuff going on."
White suggested that Chimaev's absence is to no fault of the UFC and that they'd be indebted to Chimaev if it was.
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Chimaev's "personal" problems aren't discussed any further, but it's highly likely that the UFC is holding out for Chimaev to fight at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 21 later this year.
Khamzat Chimaev Rumored to Fight Paulo Costa in Abu Dhabi
During an appearance on "The MMA Hour" on April 10, Chael Sonnen, a fight promoter, analyst and former UFC fighter discussed the UFC's plans for Chimaev.
"My understanding is that [Chimaev] is going to fight Paulo Costa. They've even got a date, they're going out [to] Abu Dhabi."
Sonnen specified the fight is "a co-main event. Three rounds instead of five." He also discussed the matchup between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 on June 10, and how the winner should fight Islam Makhachev in the main event in Abu Dhabi.
"So that means the card that I'm referencing out in Abu Dhabi (UFC 294) and the placement at co-main event. We're four [or] five months away in a best-case scenario! So it looks like we're going to keep [Chimaev vs. Costa] on ice."
UFC to Return to Abu Dhabi in October 2023
The UFC announced in March that it will be returning to Abu Dhabi on October 21 for UFC 294. The card is set to be "headlined by a highly anticipated championship title bout."
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