Khamzat Chimaev’s Injury Hiatus Proves Din Thomas Was Right All Along
Just when the middleweight division thought it might get interesting, Khamzat Chimaev has slammed the brakes on the entire party. In what has to be the most predictable plot twist of the year, the newly crowned UFC middleweight champion has announced he’s taking a little vacation from fighting due to a foot injury. Yes, you read that correctly. The man who steamrolled Dricus Du Plessis to win the belt is already on the sidelines.
During an interview, Chimaev casually dropped that he needs “a small operation” on his foot and won’t be back until after Ramadan. So, we’re looking at a return sometime after mid-March at the earliest, pushing any potential title defense to April or beyond. For those keeping score at home, that’s an eight-month break after winning the title. The fans, to put it mildly, are not amused. The collective groan from the MMA community was almost loud enough to be heard over the sound of Chimaev’s hype train screeching to a halt.
The Prophecy of Din Thomas: A Champion’s Inactivity
Let’s rewind the clock a bit. Before UFC 319, former UFC fighter and analyst Din Thomas went on a podcast and basically predicted this exact scenario. He warned that a Chimaev championship reign would be a “disaster” for the division. Why? Because of Chimaev’s spotty history of actually making it to the cage.
Thomas wasn’t just throwing shade; he was pointing out a pattern. Chimaev’s career has been a rollercoaster of incredible performances followed by long, frustrating periods of inactivity due to health issues, weight-cutting fiascos, and now, a post-championship surgery. Thomas’s concern was simple: a division needs an active champion to thrive. “If you’re a champion and you’re not willing to fight regularly… it’s bad for the division, it’s bad for the sport,” he said. Well, look at us now. It seems Din Thomas wasn’t a hater; he was a prophet.
Fan Reactions: We Told You So
The fan reaction online has been a mix of frustration and sarcastic “I told you so’s.” One fan on X perfectly summed up the mood: “Becomes champ, immediately announces he’s out until March. The most predictable storyline in the division right now.” Another chimed in with a bleakly hilarious prediction: “He’s gonna have a loooooooong run as champ since he won’t defend until 2037.”
This isn’t just about fans being impatient. It’s about a pattern of behavior that holds an entire weight class hostage. The middleweight division is stacked with hungry contenders like Nassourdine Imavov, Brendan Allen, and Anthony Hernandez, who are all on impressive winning streaks. They’re ready to fight, ready to challenge for the title, but now they’re stuck in limbo, waiting for the king to decide he’s ready to play.
Chimaev’s talent is undeniable. He’s an absolute monster in the octagon, a grappling force of nature who has, for the most part, made elite fighters look like amateurs. But what good is a monster if he’s always in his cave, licking his wounds? The UFC built this man up as the ultimate boogeyman, the guy who would fight anyone, anytime. Now, that same boogeyman is talking about operations and religious holidays before he’s even got the champion’s seat warm. It’s a tough pill to swallow for everyone who bought into the myth.
The story of Khamzat Chimaev is becoming a frustrating tale of “what ifs.” What if he could stay healthy? What if he could consistently make weight? What if he could fight more than once a year? For now, the middleweight division, and the fans, are left waiting. Again. And Din Thomas is somewhere nodding, probably thinking, “I tried to warn you.”
