Khamzat Chimaev says he will not fight at UFC 300.
With UFC CEO Dana White struggling to land a headliner for the historic show April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has ruled himself out of the event.
“The MMA Hour” host Ariel Helwani reported on Monday that the UFC’s top consideration was Chimaev against welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event but added that entry into the U.S. on Chimaev’s side is a hurdle. Chimaev shut down the speculation quickly, claiming he will not be on the card against Edwards or anyone else.
“I will fight everybody,” Chimaev told MMA Uncensored. “Leon (Edwards), (Dricus) Du Plessis – anyone. But not in Ramadan. I think Ramadan (is during) UFC 300. Maybe somebody in Saudi Arabia. I want to fight there. Not fighting in Ramadan anymore.”
Ramadan, which begins March 10 and ends April 9 this year, is a month where practicing Muslims fast with no food or water from the first light of dawn until the setting of the sun. Ramadan ends just days before UFC 300, but that would require Chimaev to go through a training camp while fasting.
Undefeated Chimaev’s most recent appearance came this past October at UFC 294 when he edged out short-notice replacement Kamaru Usman in what was dubbed as a No. 1 contender bout at middleweight.
The last time Chimaev tried to make welterweight, he missed weight by eight pounds for his originally scheduled bout against Nate Diaz in September 2022. He wound up facing Kevin Holland instead in a 180-pound catchweight bout, which he won by first-round submission.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
