Khamzat Chimaev is a Swedish welterweight prospect currently competing in Brave Combat Federation. A national wrestling champion, Chimaev trains at the reputable Allstars Gym alongside an impressive stable of UFC fighters that includes title-challenger Alexander Gustafsson. Having turned professional in 2018, Chimaev has quickly compiled a 5-0 record; he has yet to leave the first round.
Chimaev claimed the biggest win of his career so far at Brave CF 23, knocking out fellow undefeated prospect and European Combat Sambo Champion Ikram Aliskerov with an uppercut. With this win, Chimaev has put himself in pole position for the next shot at the Brave CF welterweight title.
Strengths
Frame
At 6’2″ (188 cm), Chimaev has a lanky frame which one wouldn’t normally associate with a wrestler. However, the Swede uses it to his advantage by being dominant in the clinch. His frame also allows him to stay at distance and use his jab and leg kicks which were very effective in his fight against Ikram Aliskerov.
Wrestling
Chimaev proved his wrestling skills in his fights against Sidney Wheeler, a Georgia State Champion wrestler, as well as against a combat sambo champion in Ikram Aliskerov. In both fights, Chimaev was able to demonstrate that his wrestling is on the level of his accomplished opponents. The Swede finished Wheeler on the ground after taking him down early on in the fight and was able to hang in the scrambles with Aliskerov.
Striking Offence
Despite coming from a wrestling background, Chimaev has looked comfortable in striking exchanges so far. He has shown a strong jab—with which he scored a knockdown against Ikram Aliskerov—and improving leg kicks. The highlight of Chimaev’s striking so far is the beautiful uppercut he landed to knock Ikram Aliskerov out. In the finishing sequence, Chimaev was able to counter Aliskerov’s jab with the knockout uppercut before slipping out of range. Although we haven’t seen a lot of striking from Chimaev, the signs are extremely promising.
Weaknesses/Unknowns
Due to his dominance and, thus, a lack of substantial footage to scrutinize, it is difficult to highlight any particular weaknesses in Chimaev’s game at this time. However, there are several unknowns that he will need to prove in order to become a top-level fighter.
Cardio
Chimaev has never been outside of the first round as a professional. Therefore his cardio is a question mark, especially considering the pace he pushes with his wrestling. Should an opponent be able to weather the initial storm, it is possible that Chimaev will slow down considerably as the fight goes on.
Striking Defence
Striking defence is one of the most difficult things to learn for a young fighter as most have the natural instinct to be overly aggressive. This is especially true in mixed martial arts where striking defence as a whole isn’t on the same level as in boxing and kickboxing yet. Furthermore, Allstars Gym has produced dangerous offensive strikers such as Alexander Gustafsson, Jimi Manuwa and the Teymur brothers, but we’ve yet to see an Allstar representative be described as particularly elusive or hard to hit. Therefore, we can assume that Chimaev has some flaws in his striking defence but that is only natural this early into his career.
Future
Khamzat Chimaev is likely next in line for a title shot in Brave CF. A title win would solidify him as one of the best prospects in MMA at present. Should he become the Brave CF welterweight champion, then he would likely be contractually tied up with the Bahrain-based promotion for the short-term future. However, it is important to remember that he is less than a year into his professional career so perhaps taking it slow isn’t the worst idea. In the long term, I believe that Chimaev has the right tools to become a top contender in the welterweight division.