Contrary to initial reports, Khamzat Chimaev did not break his hand during UFC 294. Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas, clarified the situation stating that the middleweight fighter actually had a torn ligament. The injury happened during Chimaev’s victory over Kamaru Usman on October 21 in Abu Dhabi. Due to this, he will have to wear a brace on his injured hand for about four weeks. Despite the injury, Chimaav hopes to avoid surgery for the condition.
Chimaev’s victory against Usman came via majority decision during the UFC 294 co-main event. This success will presumably provide an opportunity for him to face the current middleweight champion Sean Strickland in a future match. It was after the match against Usman that Chimaev admitted injuring his hand. Initially, he thought the injury was a break saying, “First round, I think I broke my hand and finger, I couldn’t punch hard with my right hand. My right hand is a big weapon. When you can’t use it, it’s hard to work.”
Following Chimaev’s victory, some controversy arose in the championship circle. Strickland expressed that he didn’t believe Chimaev earned the right for a title shot based on just one middleweight fight. He expressed this sentiment rather fervently. However, Chimaev shot back at Strickland on social media telling him, “You are next, don’t worry. You know how fast I can finish you.” This back-and-forth has added another interesting dimension to this ongoing story in the world of UFC.