Khamzat Chimaev revealed he spent between $600,000 and $700,000 to build a wrestling gym for children in his village in Chechnya. Chimaev stated he doesn't fight solely for himself and acknowledged that while people say he loves money, he views wealth as providing opportunities to help others. He also assists villagers with various needs, including medical expenses when people from his village fall ill. Chimaev dismissed criticism about his inactivity, saying he doesn't care because he earns millions from the UFC and even more outside of fighting due to his name recognition. He expressed satisfaction with his UFC pay and said he lives his dream, with sponsors and business opportunities seeking him out wherever he goes.
Khamzat Chimaev has revealed he invested between $600,000 and $700,000 of his own money to construct a wrestling gym for children in his home village in Chechnya, offering a rare glimpse into how the welterweight-turned-middleweight contender spends his earnings outside the octagon.
Chimaev, who carries a 15-1 record and currently sits ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth on the pound-for-pound list, made the disclosure publicly. The 30-year-old — now 32 — fights out of the UAE under the banner of Allstars Training Center and has built one of the sport's most recognizable names over a relatively short career. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, the orthodox striker averages 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy, while also threatening with 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the most complete fighters in the division.
Beyond the gym, Chimaev said he regularly assists villagers with day-to-day needs, including covering medical expenses for those who fall ill. He framed the spending not as charity for its own sake but as a natural use of wealth, pushing back against characterizations that he is purely motivated by money. His view, as he expressed it, is that financial success creates the platform to help those around him.
Chimaev also addressed criticism over his recent inactivity in the cage, dismissing it bluntly. He noted that his UFC purses run into the millions and that his name recognition generates substantial income from sponsors and business ventures independent of fighting. He described his current situation as living out his dream.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's public comments add rare personal context to one of the middleweight division's most polarizing figures
- His dismissal of inactivity criticism could signal he feels no urgency to rush back to competition on others' timelines
- As the division's top-ranked contender, his timeline and motivations directly affect the middleweight title picture
