Khamzat Chimaev's Lip Injury Had Nothing to Do With His Career in the UFC
As of July 2025, the Russian has kept an undefeated record in his acclaimed mixed martial arts trajectory.
Published Aug. 7 2025, 2:35 p.m. ET
Over the course of his mixed martial arts career, Khamzat Chimaev has established himself as one of the most successful fighters in the UFC. As of July 2025, the athlete had a 14-0-0 record ahead of his highly anticipated bout against Dricus Du Plessis. Taking on Khamzat became a major challenge for everyone else in his UFC weight class.
One of Khamzat Chimaev's signature physical traits is a prominent scar located on his lip. Although the Russian has spent years of his life as a mixed martial arts fighter, the scar didn't originate from his UFC career. Where did Khamzat's scar come from? The backstory of the injury dates back to the athlete's youth.
Where did Khamzat Chimaev's scar come from?
According to Sport Bible, Khamzat Chimaev's lip scar comes from a fall he suffered when he was a child. The athlete was only 2 years old, and he lived in a house with a large staircase. While he was spending a normal day at home, the boy fell from the stairs onto the concrete. A couple of teeth were knocked out of Khamzat's mouth during the accident.
The UFC star mentioned that most of the details from the accident were recounted to him by his mother. Considering how young Khamzat was at the time of the fall, it's easy to understand why it would be hard for him to remember what happened. The aftermath of the gruesome accident left uncomfortable consequences for Khamzat's body.
The athlete also broke his nose thanks to the fall. To this day, Khamzat Chimaev can't breathe properly through his right nostril. Surprisingly, this condition hasn't affected the fighter's performance during his UFC career. Regardless of the accident, Khamzat has been able to build a successful career as a mixed martial arts fighter.
Conor McGregor made fun of Khamzat's appearance.
UFC rivalries can get heated very quickly due to the confrontational nature of the sport. One of these cases took place when retired professional Conor McGregor made fun of Khazmat's physical appearance. According to The Daily Mail, Conor called the UFC star a "rat lip" in a comment under an Instagram post made by the official UFC account.
The comment was eventually deleted by Conor McGregor, but Khazmat Chimaev did come up with a response after the incident. The Russian merely replied with an emoji in the form of a chicken, implying that Conor was a coward for his disrespectful comment and the eventual removal of it from social media.
Khazmat Chimaev constantly looks to improve his skills as a fighter, regardless of the comments people can make on his appearance. The athlete has defeated Kevin Holland, Kamaru Usman, and Robert Whittaker over the course of his trajectory. UFC fans are constantly checking in to see who will be able to ruin Khazmat's impressive record. The Russian has been involved in the world of combat sports for more than a decade, and he's not looking to stop any time soon.