The next few years wouldn’t be as active for Chimaev, who dealt with a variety of health issues that limited his ability to fight as frequently. He competed once in 2021, submitting Li Jingliang in the first round. In 2022, he went three rounds for the first time in his career against former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors. Following that fight, Chimaev was set to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279, but issues on the scale led to a chaotic turn of events, where he ended up facing Kevin Holland at 180 pounds.
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From that moment on, Chimaev has spent his career competing at 185 pounds. His return to the division came against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, after “The Nigeran Nightmare” stepped in on short notice to face “Borz” after Paulo Costa had to withdraw. Chimaev dominated the opening round, but things evened out between the two throughout the second and third rounds, each finding pockets of success. It was ultimately Chimaev’s takedowns and wrestling that allowed him to get the nod on the scorecards, with one judge having a score of 28-28. With Du Plessis sitting atop the throne, Chimaev turned all eyes to securing a title shot.