UFC is looking to give Khamzat Chimaev his returning bout on October 10th, pairing him against Li Jingliang in a welterweight bout. The potential matchup, which has not been finalized yet, was first reported by Octagon Bet.
Should the fight be made official, it would join the lineup for UFC 267.
Chimaev declared retirement earlier this year after contracting COVID-19 and suffering from many long-term effects that come from the virus. However, after numerous months of recovery, he has put a focus on getting back into the cage.
If Chimaev’s return is signed off on, he will continue a career that is currently flawless through nine fights. Having been a pro since 2018, Chimaev has scored all of his wins via finish, including three in the UFC cage.
He had one of the strongest rookie UFC runs last year, scoring a trio of wins in just a three-month period. His biggest win came in September, where he stopped Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds.
Before suffering from COVID-19, Chimaev was being lined up to compete in a five-round fight against ranked welterweight Leon Edwards.
He now faces Li, who is not as highly-ranked as Edwards but is still Chimaev’s toughest opponent to date.
Li has competed in the UFC since 2014 and has a promotional record of 10 wins and four losses. He is coming off a first-round finish victory he scored over Santiago Ponzinibbio in January.
The main event for UFC 267 is currently set to be headlined by UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz and challenger Glover Teixeira. Here is how the card looks currently.
Bout 3: Jan Blachowicz (28-8) vs. Glover Teixeira (32-7) (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 2: Amanda Ribas (10-2) vs. Virna Jandiroba (17-2) (Strawweight)
Bout 1: Li Jingliang (18-6) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (9-0) (Welterweight)
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