Khamzat Chimaev translates at UFC Abu Dhabi

Khamzat Chimaev made an unexpected appearance inside the Octagon at UFC Abu Dhabi, but not as the fighter being interviewed. Chimaev was in the corner for teammate Abubakar Vagaev during Vagaev’s UFC debut, then remained central to the post-fight scene after Vagaev earned a unanimous decision over Saygid Izagakhmaev at the Etihad Arena. The scorecards were 29-28 across all three judges. When Daniel Cormier entered the cage to speak with Vagaev, Chimaev took on a role that caught the commentator off guard: translator.

The moment gave UFC Abu Dhabi a different kind of Chimaev cameo. Rather than discussing his own immediate fighting future, Chimaev helped relay his teammate’s comments after the debut victory. Cormier initially asked him, “Are you gonna do the translating?” Once Chimaev confirmed that he would, Cormier reacted with surprise, saying, “Oh my goodness, Khamzat is translating.” The exchange was notable because Chimaev was there to support Vagaev from the corner and then helped make the winner’s post-fight interview accessible in English.

Chimaev’s surprise role followed Vagaev’s win

Vagaev’s debut supplied the sporting result behind Chimaev’s in-cage appearance. He defeated Izagakhmaev by unanimous decision, with each scorecard reading 29-28. Chimaev watched the fight from Vagaev’s corner before stepping into the Octagon after the decision was announced. That sequence matters because Chimaev’s role was not limited to being visible beside a teammate; he was directly involved in both the corner support and the interview that followed the result. The source described Chimaev as not being a native English speaker, yet he handled the translation during the exchange with Cormier. The scene turned a routine post-fight interview into a memorable part of the event because the former middleweight champion was unexpectedly serving as the link between Cormier and Vagaev. It also kept the focus on Vagaev’s first UFC result: a close but clear unanimous decision rather than a split verdict or stoppage.

Chimaev’s appearance also arrived amid an unresolved period in his own career. The source states that he lost the UFC middleweight title in May when Sean Strickland won a shock split decision in the UFC 328 main event, handing Chimaev his first career defeat. Since that fight, Chimaev has been campaigning relentlessly for an immediate rematch for the 185lb belt. No rematch has been confirmed in the supplied material, and it remains unclear whether the UFC will book Strickland against Chimaev again or choose another direction.

What the Abu Dhabi moment confirmed

The Abu Dhabi appearance did not provide a booking update for Chimaev, but it did establish what he was doing at the event. He was supporting Vagaev during a successful UFC debut and helping with the winner’s interview afterward. Those are separate details that explain why Chimaev was in the cage when Cormier arrived: Vagaev had won, and Chimaev was available to translate. For Chimaev, the cameo came after the May defeat and while his rematch campaign remains unresolved. The source does not identify a next opponent, date, or UFC decision. What is confirmed is narrower: Chimaev was present in Abu Dhabi, his teammate won by three 29-28 scores, and Chimaev took on the unexpected translation duty that surprised Cormier.

• Chimaev cornered Abubakar Vagaev for Vagaev’s UFC debut at UFC Abu Dhabi.
• Chimaev translated during Vagaev’s post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier after the unanimous decision win.

Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC Abu Dhabi involvement was brief but unusually revealing. He appeared as a teammate’s corner man, then became Vagaev’s translator after the debut victory. While Chimaev continues to seek an immediate middleweight title rematch following his May loss, the confirmed news from Abu Dhabi is the unexpected support role he played for Vagaev inside the Octagon.

Sources: Bloody Elbow