Khamzat Chimaev Suffered Torn Ligament in Hand at UFC 294, Hopes to Avoid Surgery

As it turns out, Khamzat Chimaev did not break his hand at UFC 294.

Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas, told ESPN that the middleweight suffered a torn ligament in his victory over Kamaru Usman on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. As a result, Chimaev will wear a brace on his hand for the next four weeks but is hoping to avoid surgery.

Chimaev defeated Usman via majority decision in the UFC 294 co-main event, a victory that will presumably give him a shot to face reigning middleweight champion Sean Strickland at a later date. After the victory, “Borz” revealed that he injured his hand in the opening stanza against Usman. At the time, Chimaev thought it was broken.

"First round, I think I broke my hand and finger," Chimaev said after the bout. "I couldn't punch hard with right hand. My right hand is a big weapon. When you can't use it, it's hard to work.”

Shortly after Chimaev’s victory, Strickland said that he felt that the Chechen-born Swede ”doesn't f—-ing deserve” the title shot on the basis of one middleweight victory. Chimaev responded to Strickland’s statement on social media.

[Sean Strickland] you are next, don’t worry,” Chimaev wrote. “You know [how] fast I can finish you.”