UFC president Dana White wanted another quick turnaround for Khamzat Chimaev but it hasn’t been as easy as he hoped.
Chimaev has made quite the impression early in his UFC run. His first two outings under the UFC banner were just 10 days apart. First, he submitted John Phillips in the second round. Then, he scored a first-round TKO victory over Rhys McKee.
Dana White Reveals Travel Issues With Khamzat Chimaev
During a talk with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, White said that Chimaev has hit a snag when it comes to traveling to the United States with the coronavirus pandemic in effect (h/t MMAJunkie).
“We’re working on it,” White said. “You know I want (him to fight). I want him here. I want him to come to America and fight. We’ll see what happens. … He wants to fight and people will fight him, but we’ve got to work on getting him in the (country). It ain’t easy getting people into the country right now.”
White was hoping to put Chimaev on the UFC 252 card on Aug. 15 but obviously that’s not going to happen. Chimaev’s team told MMAJunkie’s John Morgan that they’re hoping for a bout in late August or early September. Time will tell when Chimaev will make his return but it’s safe to say there are high hopes for the welterweight.
Many have been comparing Chimaev to a more aggressive version of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. While some may believe people are jumping the gun on Chimaev, others feel the rising 170-pounder has the style to beat anyone in the division. Time will tell if he ultimately sinks or swims.
