Khamzat Chimaev's amateur MMA debut took place in September 2017 in Sweden under the Fight Club Rush organization. Chimaev finished his opponent Khaled Laalam with a rear-naked choke in the second round. He won three amateur bouts total before transitioning to professional MMA the following year in 2018. Fight Club Rush, where Chimaev made his amateur debut, continues to hold events that are broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. His opponent Laalam is now 7-1 as a professional and competes in the UAE Warriors promotion.
Khamzat Chimaev's rise to the top of the UFC middleweight rankings had a quiet beginning: a second-round submission finish on the amateur circuit in Sweden back in September 2017.
Fighting under the Fight Club Rush organization, Chimaev submitted Khaled Laalam with a rear-naked choke to claim his first victory in mixed martial arts. He went on to win three amateur bouts in total before making the jump to professional competition in 2018. Fight Club Rush continues to operate in Sweden, with its events available to watch on UFC Fight Pass.
Chimaev, now 32 and representing the United Arab Emirates, has since built one of the more imposing records in the sport at 15-1. Currently ranked first in the UFC middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings, he trains out of Allstars Training Center and fights out of an orthodox stance. His professional resume reflects the same finishing instincts he showed as an amateur — he lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate, while averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes. At six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, "Borz" has developed into one of the most physically dominant fighters in the middleweight class.
His debut opponent, Laalam, has also gone on to carve out a professional career of his own. Now 7-1 as a professional, Laalam competes in the UAE Warriors promotion.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's amateur debut offers rare early footage of one of the UFC's most dominant current middleweights
- His finishing instinct — a rear-naked choke in round two — foreshadowed a professional career defined by high submission volume and grappling pressure
- Fight Club Rush's continued presence on UFC Fight Pass keeps that early chapter of his career accessible to fans
