Khamzat Chimaev is just months away from finally competing for a UFC title—five years after first stepping into the Octagon.

Since bursting onto the UFC scene during the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Chimaev quickly became one of the sport’s most talked-about prospects, touted as a potential double champion.

Only 10 days after his UFC debut, Chimaev shocked the world by accepting a fight on ultra-short notice against Rhys McKee, setting a new UFC record for the fastest turnaround between bouts.

Now, with eight UFC fights under his belt—including a dominant victory over former champ Robert Whittaker at UFC 308—‘Borz’ is set to finally challenge for the middleweight belt against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.

What makes Chimaev’s journey even more compelling is the dramatic change he made to his training camp for this big fight. The Chechen star chose to prepare far away from the distractions of the city, training at a remote Olympic base in the mountain village of Kislovodsk, nestled in Russia’s North Caucasus region.

This secluded “spa city” served as the training ground for athletes preparing for the 1980 Moscow Olympics—and now, it’s where Chimaev is sharpening his skills alongside a dedicated team.

“This is probably the best training base I’ve ever been to,” Chimaev told Adam Zubayraev. “It’s quiet, focused, and free from distractions. There are Olympians from every sport here—wrestlers, figure skaters, boxers. No phones, no noise. Just pure training.”

The 31-year-old revealed that the peaceful environment helps clear his mind, allowing him to zero in on what truly matters: fighting.

“I feel my head clearing up. All the extra noise fades away, and even the food here is amazing,” he added.

Chimaev’s road to this title shot hasn’t been smooth—early health struggles forced him to take a brief hiatus and prompted a switch to a new training team after realizing his previous camp pushed him to the point of exhaustion.

Long before his UFC rise, Chimaev was already making waves—famously flying to Ireland to confront Conor McGregor amid the heated rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov, standing up for his roots and beliefs.

Now, poised on the brink of UFC stardom, Khamzat Chimaev is ready to claim his place at the top—after years of hard work, sacrifice, and a training camp unlike any other. The countdown to UFC 319 and his championship showdown has officially begun.