“They ripped me out of my home in the middle of the war… but i learned not to let fear live inside me. ”
“I was born in Chechnya in very difficult times. Since a child I understood what it was to live with fear and uncertainty, and I found in the struggle a shelter where I could feel strong. Every fall on the tatami was a reminder that even if life knocks me down, I could rise again and again.
At age 18 I emigrated to Sweden. I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t know anyone and everything seemed uphill. I started in small gyms, training with an intensity that surprised everyone. I spent hours and hours improving myself, because I knew that that discipline would be my only outlet to achieve something greater. There were days when nothing was clear, but I never stopped.
My MMA career grew fast, until an illness forced me to stop. I was about to drop everything, my body wasn’t responding and I thought my sleep was over. But with patience, faith and consistency I managed to recover, and when I returned to the octagon I did it with more determination than ever. That rebirth taught me that the real victory is not achieved in the ring, but the one won against oneself.
No matter how hard your past is or how difficult your present is… what defines you is how many times you decide to get back up.”
– Khamzat Chimaev.
Khamzat Khizarovich Chimaev [Chechen-born 1 May 1994) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler.
He is the new UFC Middleweight Champion at UFC 319.
