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Khamzat Chimaev defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman via majority decision (29–27, 29–27, 28–28) in a middleweight co-main event at UFC 294. The highly anticipated bout took place on October 21, 2023, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Usman accepted the fight on just nine days’ notice after Chimaev’s original opponent, Paulo Costa, pulled out due to surgery.
Fight Breakdown
- Round 1: Chimaev wasted no time, diving for a single-leg takedown in the opening seconds. Despite Usman’s elite wrestling pedigree, “Borz” took his back, flattened him out, and dominated the entire round with heavy ground-and-pound and submission attempts. Two judges scored this a rare 10–8 round for Chimaev.
- Round 2: The pace slowed dramatically into a stand-up kickboxing match. Chimaev suffered a suspected broken hand during the opening frame, making him hesitant to trade heavy volume. Usman capitalized, finding his rhythm to land the cleaner, sharper strikes and win the round on two judges’ scorecards.
- Round 3: Usman increased his aggression, snapping Chimaev’s head back with a heavy right hand and a multi-punch combination. With the fight hanging in the balance, Chimaev timed a critical double-leg takedown with roughly three minutes remaining, stifling Usman’s comeback. Usman fought back to his feet in the final 30 seconds, leading to a wild, chaotic striking exchange right up to the final horn.
Fight Statistics
| Metric | Khamzat Chimaev | Kamaru Usman |
|---|---|---|
| Total Strikes Landed | 107 | 58 |
| Significant Strikes | 38 / 70 | 36 / 65 |
| Takedowns Landed | 4 / 12 | 0 / 0 |
| Submission Attempts | 1 | 0 |
The win extended Chimaev’s undefeated professional record to 13–0 and earned him his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt inside the Octagon.