Rising UFC prospect Khamzat Chimaev will make his return to MMA against Li Jingliang slated for UFC 267.
Raphael Marinho of Combate was the first to report on news of the pending matchup. UFC 267 is set to take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi and will go do down on October 30 according to the report.
Ultimate acertou o retorno de Khamzat Chimaev para o UFC 267 contra Li Jingliang. Apuramos que os dois lados aceitaram a luta, falta só a assinatura dos contratos. #feedmma
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) July 9, 2021
The report also indicates that contracts on both sides have not been signed but during the time of this writing, this is the return fight the promotion is seeking for the popular Chimaev.
Khamzat Chimaev Returns After Battle With COVID-19
Following the after-effects of the COVID-19 virus, Chimaev was forced to stop training. Although, it appears the rising UFC star is beginning to feel better or the promotion wouldn’t have proceeded with the fight plans.
9-0 as a professional, the unbeaten Chimaev caught fire last year during his stint on Fight Island. In particular, the Chechnya native bounced between the welterweight and the middleweight division and had one of the fastest turnaround fights in UFC history.
First, Chimaev finished John Phillips, then went on to ground and pound UFC welterweight Rhys McKee en route to a dominant win just ten days later. Finally, when the stage was the brightest, Chimaev faced his stiffest test in Gerald Meerschaert and he passed the test with flying colors.
The 27-year old knocked “GM3” out in 17-seconds. Ever since that crazy night, Chimaev has been bound for stardom, but due to contracting COVID-19, the MMA professional had to take some much-needed time off. It appears that time is coming to an end as the promotion is looking at Jingliang next for Oct.
Facing Chimaev is one of China’s top UFC fighters Jingliang. The 33-year old has never looked better in the Octagon after his big knockout win against Santiago Ponzinibbio. Prior to his statement win, the China-based fighter took a loss to the ever-durable Neil Magny. Before his loss to Magny, Jingliang rattled off three straight wins inside the Octagon (2 of those wins by TKO).
Jingliang’s all-action style always makes for thrilling welterweight affairs and it gives the Chinese-native a shot at taking the scalp of a very big name. For Chimaev, this fight is paramount to his continued relevance. If “Borz” is to fail, it would likely erase much of the success he saw on Fight Island one year ago.
What are you picking to win between Chimaev and Jingliang?
