TGIFighting: UFC Super-Prospect Khamzat Chimaev Moves on from COVID Retirement

Welcome back to TGIFighting, where we talk to top fighters, preview the weekend's combat sports action and make crotchety observations about the combat sports news of the day. Ready? Let's proceed.

Khamzat Chimaev doesn't just want to beat Li Jingliang this Saturday. He wants to eat him.

That's a far cry from earlier this year, when Chimaev (9-0) publicly and strongly hinted at retirement as he sat in the throes of an extended bout with COVID-19. The case was so bad that it prevented him from training, much less fighting, and that instantly iced the wheels of one of the hottest hype trains in the UFC.

But now he's back to face Jingliang (18-6) to kick off the main card of UFC 267. And apparently he's...hungry? More on that momentarily.

Want proof that Chimaev isn't just an ordinary fighter? UFC president Dana White and Ramzan Kadyrov—the literal warlord who leads the Russian republic of Chechnya, where Chimaev was born and raised—both threw freezing water on the very notion.

Fight fans must be happy with Chimaev's ultimate decision to return. The 27-year-old only has three fights thus far in the UFC, but he's already had an eye-popping run. In a 2020 bout with Rhys McKee (11-4-1), Chimaev out-landed McKee by a 40-0 margin in significant strikes en route to a three-minute knockout. This was made all the more impressive by the quick turnaround from his UFC debut, a second-round submission of John Phillips (22-11, 1 NC) that happened just 10 days prior. That's about as impressive a debut as one could possibly have.

He's currently a -590 favorite to defeat Jingliang. In all likelihood, a win would vault the super-prospect into the official UFC welterweight rankings, where Jingliang sits at No. 11.

But there are questions. Namely, how's his health these days? And how about his will to continue to compete at the highest level?

In an exclusive interview, Chimaev discussed his current health status and his semi-retirement, all while making, in rather colorful terms, unambiguous claims about his plans for Jingliang and the rest of the welterweight division. Claims like how he's going to devour his opponents. Now that's a lot to digest.

The exchange has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What challenge does Jingliang pose that your past opponents have not?

Chimaev: Nothing. All the same. Beef to eat, bro. He is from China. Other guys were from other countries. That's it. I'm going to eat him up.

You seem to make a point of staying active in there, whether it's standing or on the ground. Does that come naturally, or is it something you work on intentionally?

Chimaev: It's natural. I've always been fighting in my life. Since I've been doing it all my life, I like it. I love it. That's what I do. When I'm healthy, I always try to fight.

I don't give a s--t, I'm gonna go for the finish. I don't want to hold [opponents] down for three, four, five rounds. This is bulls--t. I like to punch. I like to beat him up and take his heart until he says "I give up," you know? I love that.

Hardcore MMA fans know about your battle with COVID-19 that led you to semi-retirement. The disease can affect people in a lot of different ways. What was it like for you?

Chimaev: I'm healthy now. And stronger than I was before. Maybe I lost some power, I don't know [laughs]. But I am 100 percent now, and I'm coming for this guy.

But what was it like for you when you actually had the disease?

Chimaev: Bro, you can Google this s--t. COVID. I don't know how to explain to you.

When I had COVID I couldn't train. That's why I said "I retire," but now I'm back and I feel good. I'm stronger now. I've done so many interviews on COVID, I'm like a doctor now. Because people give me so many questions about COVID.

Why did you decide to retire, and why did you decide to come back?

Chimaev: [I retired because] it was a tough time. Everything was going wrong.

But now everything is going good. I came back because I love fighting. That's why I come back. Make money, smash somebody, eat somebody.

When you took heat from White and Kadyrov, what was that like?

Chimaev: For me, it's all games. I play the game. Doing interviews, fighting, making money, to me it's all game.

My real life is my family. I live for my family. My mother, my brothers. I love them. That's why I play this s--t game, you know?

You've been away for a while, but you've still got a lot of hype behind you. Do you feel you're ready to make good on it? Jingliang is easily your highest-profile opponent to date.

Chimaev: Hang on. Everybody always says that. They say "you have a lot of hype behind you." It's not hype.

It's like this: I kill everybody. You know?

I am the best in the world. It's not hype. This is real. I'm real. I'm a real guy. I get finishes. I smash guys, I submit them. And still people talk about hype, hype. Some people know. Some people don't understand. But soon they're gonna understand.

Kayla Harrison Is Very Wealthy

Maybe you have a bone to pick with the low relative quality of Kayla Harrison's (12-0) opponents. Maybe the lightweight's dominance became numbing to you. Maybe the Professional Fighters League isn't on your radar at all.

It matters not. Harrison has now waded through your comments and concerns to become the best women's fighter in the world not named Amanda Nunes (21-4). And now the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist may well be its wealthiest after calmly dismantling no-Wikipedia-page-having Taylor Guardado (3-2) on Wednesday by second-round submission to capture her second $1 million PFL tournament.

Even if her degree of difficulty is far below Nunes and others, give Harrison credit: She crushes the cans with extreme prejudice. Guardado is the only one of Harrison's four opponents in 2021 to escape the first round. Only two bouts of Harrison's career—both against Larissa Pacheco (15-4)—went the distance.

So when will she jump to the UFC? That's the next million-dollar question. This was the last bout on her PFL contract, and she's made it clear she's open to other organizations, even if it means a move down to 145 pounds, where a clash with Nunes would be all but inevitable.

Wherever Harrison ends up next, she's already cemented her legacy and her bank account many times over. And good on her. Plenty of fighters never get a chance to do either.

Stone-Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the Week

Record to date: 21-7

At UFC 267, the conservative betting favorite is Zubaira Tukhugov (19-5-1), who as of Thursday is a -165 favorite to best Ricardo Ramos (15-3).

There are a lot of Russians up and down this card, which takes place on the UFC's Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Tukhugov isn't as widely hyped as Chimaev or others—at least not anymore, as a failed drug test has kept him on the sidelines for some time. But here's guessing he can still get his wrestling and deceptively sharp striking game off against Ramos, who relies on jiu-jitsu to control and submit opponents. It figures to be a big night for the Russian fighters, and Tukhugov should deliver in style. Lock it in.

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