Khamzat Chimaev has stated that he is far from finishing his fighting career. Responding to critics who accuse him of being inactive, Chimaev said he doesn't care about the criticism because he is earning millions. He claims he makes more money outside the UFC than inside it, thanks to the profile he has built. Chimaev says sponsorships and business projects come to him wherever he goes. He dismissed his critics as people who only talk and do nothing themselves.
Khamzat Chimaev has pushed back against critics who have questioned his activity levels, insisting his fighting career is nowhere near its end and that his financial success outside the cage makes outside noise irrelevant to him.
The number-one ranked middleweight and top-ten pound-for-pound fighter carries a record of 15 wins and just one loss, a profile that has made him one of the most commercially visible fighters on the roster. Chimaev, who is 32 years old and represents the United Arab Emirates out of Allstars Training Center in Sweden, stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. His in-cage numbers are formidable — he lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a 60 percent accuracy rate, while also averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the most complete offensive threats in his division.
In response to inactivity criticism, Chimaev was dismissive, saying he has no interest in the opinions of people who only talk while he earns. He stated that his income from sponsorships and business ventures outside the UFC exceeds what he makes competing, crediting the profile he has built inside the octagon for attracting those opportunities wherever he travels. His message was blunt: retirement is not on the horizon.
Why it matters
- Chimaev holds the number-one middleweight ranking, meaning any prolonged absence directly affects title contention order in the division
- His commercial argument reframes the usual fighter-activity conversation — he is positioning outside earnings as a reason to fight on his own timeline rather than the UFC's
- At 32, with a 15-1 record and elite stats across striking and grappling, he remains a significant competitive force if and when he returns to action
