Khamzat Chimaev reportedly targeting October return at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi

UFC star Khamzat Chimaev is reportedly targeting a return to the cage in October, as per his team.

As we know, Khamzat Chimaev was set to return to the Octagon last weekend at UFC Saudi Arabia. He was scheduled to take on Robert Whittaker in an absolutely blockbuster main event. Unfortunately, due to illness, Chimaev was unable to compete, with Ikram Aliskerov stepping in to battle and lose to Bobby Knuckles.

RELATED: Khamzat Chimaev’s team shuts down “bullsh*t” rumors that food poisoning forced him out of UFC Saudi Arabia: “As a brother I won’t share his dark times”

For ‘Borz’, this latest illness has caused some pretty widespread concern. Many have noted the amount of times that Khamzat has been forced to pull out of fights for things like this. Of course, this may just be something he has to overcome, but in equal measure, it could be an issue that keeps him out of action for even longer than the UFC had anticipated.

As per a recent statement from his own team, Chimaev wants to return in October – but it’s far from certain.

https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1805299690251882782

Chimaev’s return

“Khamzat can fight at the tournament in Abu Dhabi in October. But everything will depend on his condition.”

The last sentence is the most crucial of all. There’s so much we don’t know about the illness in question and that’ll continue to fuel a lot of speculation. At the end of the day, though, it’s nobody’s business aside from Khamzat Chimaev and those close to him. We just hope to see him get back to doing what he does best sooner rather than later.

What do you believe the immediate future holds for Khamzat Chimaev? Do you feel as if he has a good chance of becoming UFC champion? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!