They say everything is fair in love and war, and MMA is no exception. In a sport where the line between loyalty and betrayal is often blurred, mind games and shocking twists aren’t uncommon. The latest example comes from the UFC middleweight division, where Khamzat Chimaev finds himself at the center of unexpected controversy ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
With just two months to go before his high-stakes, five-round title clash against reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis, ‘Borz’ has captured the spotlight as a fan favorite. The buzz only intensified during the UFC’s recent visit to Chicago, where anticipation for the matchup reached a fever pitch. But behind the scenes, a stunning betrayal has shaken his camp. In a move that shocked fans and insiders alike, footage surfaced revealing Khamzat Chimaev’s former coach aligning with ‘Stillknocks’. That coach?
None other than Ozzy Dugulubgov—the same man who once played a crucial role in preparing Khamzat Chimaev for his UFC 294 bout against Kamaru Usman. As reported by MMA Uncensored on X: ‘He comes from the same region in Russia as Khamzat and many other Russian UFC fighters hail from. It’s rumored that he has been kicked out of multiple gyms in the UAE due to a reputation for coaching fighters and then later coaching their opponents, giving those opponents an edge by exploiting prior knowledge.’
Born in Russia but fighting out of New Jersey, Dugulubgov holds an 8-2 professional MMA record, with most of his bouts taking place in the World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) promotion. One little-known fact is that he was once slated to fight Justin Gaethje—before ‘The Highlight’ ever stepped foot in the UFC.
Fast forward to now, and the story has taken a sharp turn. Dugulubgov isn’t making headlines as a fighter anymore—he’s now stirring the pot as a coach. His ties with the Chechnya native are officially a thing of the past. Khamzat Chimaev himself has moved on, shedding his old AllStars gym in Sweden and evolving into a new version of himself—with eyes locked on UFC gold.
Why did Khamzat Chimaev reunite with his old coach?
Khamzat Chimaev has always been a formidable force. In 2020, he exploded onto the UFC scene with a commanding submission victory—and just 10 days later, he returned to the Octagon to secure another impressive win. In a span of just 20 days, the world witnessed the emergence of a potential superstar. Across both fights, ‘Borz’v demonstrated his lethal finishing skills by submitting and knocking out his opponents, quickly earning comparisons to the dominant fighters from the Caucasus Mountains.
However, after that rapid rise, Khamzat Chimaev’s momentum began to slow. Persistent health issues, including a compromised immune system, forced him to pull out of several scheduled fights. Despite maintaining an undefeated record and dominant performances, these setbacks hindered his UFC progression. This explains why his highly anticipated title shot is only arriving five years after his debut. During this period, ‘Borz’ has had six fights canceled, further delaying his climb to the top.
A similar situation unfolded last year during the UFC summer schedule when Khamzat Chimaev was originally set to face Robert Whittaker. That bout was postponed to the fall for UFC 308. In the lead-up to this fight, news broke that Chimaev had parted ways with his longtime team at Sweden’s AllStars and reunited with his former wrestling coach, Salim Noutsalkhanov. The timing of this coaching switch raised questions, with many wondering why he would change camps so close to such a crucial fight.
The Chechen wolf later explained the decision in an interview with Red Corner MMA: “The point is they now let me rest and recover properly. I used to go to the gym and train till I was done. But then I ended up in hospital. Like the last time when I was in hospital, three times in a row within three weeks. My immune system went down, I got sick. Now I use a better approach. I work with good coaches. Salim [Noutsalkhanov] raised a lot of world champions.”
With UFC 319 just two months away, do you think Ozzy Dugulubgov’s new role with Dricus Du Plessis could give him an edge over Chimaev in their future matchups? Share your thoughts below.
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