Khamzat Chimaev needs time off due to hand injuries from powerful punches
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 18, 2026, 5:51 PM
Last updated Sep 18, 2026
Khamzat Chimaev, the former UFC middleweight champion, requires time off as he deals with hand injuries from his intense striking. Chimaev noted that the injuries are not severe enough to prevent training or sparring but still require attention to heal properly. The fighter indicated that the recovery period could last one to two months. There are ongoing discussions about Sean Strickland potentially defending his middleweight title against Nassourdine Imavov during Chimaev's absence.
- •Khamzat Chimaev sustains hand injuries from powerful striking.
- •Recovery could take one to two months.
- •Chimaev has not scored a knockout in six years.
- •Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov 2 is being discussed.
- •Chimaev remains hopeful for a swift return to competition.
- 5:51 PMYahoo Sports — Mighty Khamzat hits with such power and ferocity he actually injured his hands and needs time off from UFC
"Fortunately for Chimaev, he won’t have to do any punching tonight at RAF 13.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 6:40 PMUFC 331 referee, judges revealed for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2- UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 6:27 PMUFC 331: Arman Tsarukyan is fighting for a title shot, but is Ilia Topuria still in the driver's seat?
UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 6:13 PMVideo: UFC 331 full card weigh-in highlights with every fighter on scale- UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 6:08 PMUFC 331: Tai Tuivasa is still here after 7 straight losses, which tells us plenty about what UFC really wants
UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 5:50 PMIsrael Adesanya: Mauricio Ruffy snipes Arman Tsarukyan in Round 3
UFC•Sep 18, 2026, 5:40 PMGilbert Burns seeking Khamzat Chimaev trilogy after RAF match
