Perhaps the only thing that keeps Khamzat Chimaev from fighting every weekend is his passport.
UFC President Dana White hopes to book Chimaev at UFC 252 after a breakout pair of appearances on Fight Island this past month. But the Allstars Training Center product could not enter the US
White told Yahoo! Sports promotion is working on getting him a visa so he can fight more often in the US.
“He wants to fight and people will fight him,” White said. ‘It’s just that we have to work to get him into the country. It is not easy to get people into the country at the moment. ”
The UFC created Fight Island to describe visa issues arising from on-site travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with a hot up-and-coming prospect like Chimaev, the promotion is poised to go the extra mile.
After buzz-sawing through John Phillips and Rhys McKee in 10 days, Chimaev is ready to take on the entire welterweight division.
“I love fighting, taking the cow and defeating someone,” he said after his second win. ‘It’s too easy, too easy to hit someone and get money, brother. It’s perfect for me. I have eight fights and eight finishes. I hate everyone. ‘
Of course, Chimaev will no doubt face stronger competition as he moves the 170-pound rows up. At that point, the MMA world will see if he is rightly called “Khabib 3.0”. But so far, the Chechen-born fighter is off to a great start.
