Khamzat Chimaev is a practicing Sunni Muslim. For him, faith occupies a central place, both in his personal life and in his sporting career.
Born on May 1, 1994, in Beno-Yurt, Chechnya, he grew up in a context marked by the Russo-Chechen wars. Nicknamed “Borz,” meaning “Wolf” in Chechen, he has established himself as one of the great figures of world MMA.
On August 17, 2025, at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev became the fourth Muslim champion in UFC history, after Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Islam Makhachev. This victory reinforced his image as a fighter deeply attached to his faith.
His Islam is visible in many public gestures. He often enters the octagon with the cry of “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is the greatest.” He also regularly uses the expression “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Praise be to God,” in his interviews and on his social media.
Khamzat Chimaev also refuses to fight during the month of Ramadan. This decision shows that his faith is not merely a matter of public image. It directly influences his career choices.
Through this attitude, he follows in the footsteps of the great Muslim champions of contemporary MMA. Like Khabib Nurmagomedov or Islam Makhachev, he contributes to making Islam more visible in Western combat sports.
Khamzat Chimaev grew up in Gvardeyskoye, a modest village in Chechnya. His family was conservative Muslim and was deeply marked by the wars of the 1990s and 2000s.
Chechnya is a predominantly Sunni Muslim region. Its recent history is tied to resistance, national identity, and the preservation of religious traditions. This environment strongly influenced Chimaev’s youth.
His personal relationship with Islam was built very early on. In several interviews, he explained that his older brother had played an important role in his religious practice. He reportedly told him that if he did not pray, he was not truly a Muslim.
Since that time, Chimaev says he prays every day. He particularly emphasizes the importance of the five daily prayers, one of the pillars of Muslim practice. He often accompanies this testimony with the expression “Alhamdulillah.”
However, he also speaks of his faith with a certain humility. He has previously stated that he does not consider himself “the best Muslim.” According to him, all men make mistakes and must try to improve themselves.
His relationship with the Quran also reveals a more personal dimension. Khamzat Chimaev does not read Arabic himself. To study the sacred text, particularly during Ramadan, he therefore listens to imams or translated recitations.
At the age of 18, he left Chechnya with his mother and brother to settle in Sweden. It was there that his career as a wrestler, and then as an MMA fighter, truly took shape. Despite this new life in Europe, his Chechen and Muslim identity remains very strong.
In September 2023, he gave up representing Sweden in sport. He then chose the United Arab Emirates, in a context of tensions related to Quran burnings in Sweden. This choice was widely discussed in the Muslim world and perceived by many as an act of loyalty to his faith.
Khamzat Chimaev’s religious devotion is also evident in his relationship with Ramadan. For practicing Muslims, this sacred month involves fasting from sunrise to sunset. It represents a time of discipline, prayer, and spiritual purification.
Chimaev refuses to fight during this period. In 2024, he notably declined the idea of participating in UFC 300 against Leon Edwards, as the event fell during Ramadan. He then explained that he was ready to face any opponent, but not during this sacred month.
This stance earns him strong recognition among a portion of the Muslim public. It shows that his sporting career remains subordinate to certain religious principles. For him, the UFC calendar does not take precedence over faith.
His fights in Abu Dhabi have also reinforced his status as a sporting hero in the Middle East. At UFC 294 in October 2023, his presence particularly resonated with the international Muslim audience. His image therefore extends well beyond the Western MMA framework.
### A Religious Discourse Open to Humanitarian Causes
Khamzat Chimaev also expresses his attachment to several humanitarian causes. He often mentions the suffering of Palestinian children. This subject regularly comes up in his public statements.
However, his discourse is not limited to a communal defense. After certain fights, he has called for unity among Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He has also expressed his sadness at the suffering of children in several war zones.
He has specifically mentioned Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Palestine. This approach gives his discourse a broader dimension. It reveals a humanitarian sensitivity that goes beyond the purely religious framework.
This aspect makes Khamzat Chimaev more complex than the sometimes caricatured image of the simple “Muslim fighter.” His faith is central, but it is also accompanied by a message of responsibility, compassion, and peace.
Married and the father of several children, Chimaev states that fatherhood has changed his outlook on life. Becoming a father seems to have strengthened his faith and softened certain aspects of his public image. He remains an intense and provocative fighter, but his discourse is now more often marked by family, God, and the protection of the innocent.
In summary, Khamzat Chimaev is a practicing Sunni Muslim, deeply attached to his faith. His Islam influences his personal choices, his sporting schedule, his public identity, and his public statements. Through him, one can also see the growing importance of Muslim champions in world MMA.
Khamzat Chimaev is muslim. This information has been officially confirmed.
Khamzat Chimaev refuses to fight during Ramadan for religious reasons. A practicing Muslim, he considers this month a sacred period dedicated to fasting, prayer, and spiritual discipline. During Ramadan, practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. They consume neither food nor water during the day. For a professional fighter, this makes preparation and recovery much more difficult. In a sport as demanding as MMA, fighting under these conditions can also pose a physical risk. Dehydration, loss of energy, and reduced mental clarity can have a direct impact inside the octagon. In 2024, Khamzat Chimaev notably refused to participate in UFC 300. He did not want to face Leon Edwards during Ramadan. On that occasion, he stated that he was ready to fight anyone, but not during this sacred month. This decision shows that his faith takes priority over certain sporting opportunities. It also sets him apart from other Muslim fighters who have already agreed to compete during Ramadan. Chimaev himself had done so in the past, notably against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. Today, his stance appears firmer. For him, Ramadan is a time to be fully respected, even if it means giving up a major UFC event.
Khamzat Chimaev stopped representing Sweden in sports in September 2023. He then chose to represent the United Arab Emirates. This decision came in a context of strong religious tensions. In 2023, several public burnings of the Quran took place in Sweden. These acts provoked strong outrage across much of the Muslim world. The Swedish government did not ban these actions, in the name of freedom of expression. For Khamzat Chimaev, this stance was experienced as an offense against Islam. His change of sporting nationality therefore appears as a strong symbolic gesture. It should also be noted that Chimaev had been living in Sweden since 2013, but had not obtained Swedish citizenship. He was therefore representing the country in sports, without being an officially recognized Swedish citizen. By choosing the United Arab Emirates, he wanted to represent a country more aligned with his religious and cultural values. This choice was well received by part of the Muslim public. Since then, he notably fought in Abu Dhabi at UFC 294, in October 2023. His popularity in the Middle East subsequently grew stronger. For many fans, he has become one of the great Muslim faces of world MMA. This decision also had a practical aspect. It would have allowed him to resolve certain administrative difficulties related to his Russian passport. But, on a symbolic level, his attachment to Islam remains the most frequently cited explanation.