You see him standing across the cage from someone like Robert Whittaker or Kamaru Usman and it hits you—the guy is huge. Like, weirdly huge. There is a specific kind of "fighting frame" that makes certain athletes look like they belong in a higher weight class, and "Borz" has it. But if you look at the official Tale of the Tape, the numbers tell a more specific story than the eye test might suggest.
Khamzat Chimaev stands exactly 6 feet 2 inches tall. In the metric system, that puts him at 188 centimeters.
For a guy who spent a significant chunk of his early UFC career trying to squeeze his body into the 170-pound welterweight division, that is a massive height. Most welterweights hover around 5'10" or 5'11". When Chimaev was fighting at welterweight, he wasn't just taller than his opponents; he was looming over them. Even now, as he has permanently moved up to middleweight (185 lbs), he remains one of the taller threats in the division.
The Physical Breakdown: More Than Just Inches
Height is only half the battle in the Octagon. If you're tall but have short arms, you’re basically just a bigger target. Khamzat doesn't have that problem. His reach is 75 inches (190 cm).
Wait. Think about that for a second.
His reach is actually shorter than his height. Usually, elite fighters have a "positive" ape index, meaning their wingspan is longer than they are tall (think Jon Jones or Israel Adesanya). Khamzat’s wingspan is roughly an inch shorter than his height.
But here is why it doesn't matter: his legs.
Khamzat has incredibly long levers. When he shoots for a double-leg takedown, those long legs allow him to cover distance in a way that stockier wrestlers just can't. It’s a terrifying combination. He has the height of a middleweight, the speed of a welterweight, and the grappling pressure of a heavyweight.
How He Compares to the Elite
To really understand how tall Khamzat Chimaev is, you have to look at who he’s standing next to. It’s all about the matchups.
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- Robert Whittaker: Khamzat had a clear 2-inch height advantage over "The Reaper," who stands at 6'0".
- Kamaru Usman: "The Nigerian Nightmare" is 6'0". When they fought at UFC 294, Khamzat looked noticeably rangier.
- Dricus Du Plessis: The current champ is 6'1". Khamzat actually holds the height advantage here by an inch.
- Israel Adesanya: This is where the limit is. Adesanya is 6'4". If those two ever meet, it would be one of the few times Khamzat is the "smaller" man in terms of stature.
The Struggle of the "Big" Welterweight
Honestly, Chimaev's height was arguably his biggest enemy for a while. Trying to get a 6'2" frame down to 170 pounds is a nightmare.
You probably remember the UFC 279 disaster. He missed weight by 7.5 pounds. People were furious. But looking at his skeletal structure, it was almost inevitable. A 6'2" man with that much muscle mass isn't designed to be 170 pounds.
Since moving to 185 pounds, he looks much "healthier." His face isn't as sunken during weigh-ins, and he carries more power in his hips. He's basically found his natural home. At middleweight, his 6'2" height is still a weapon, but he’s no longer killing himself to get there.
The "Visual" Illusion
Why does he look so much bigger than 6'2" sometimes? It’s his posture and his neck. Khamzat has a very high-set trap muscle area and a thick neck, which often makes fighters look more imposing during face-offs. Plus, he fights with a very upright, stalking stance. He doesn't crouch like a traditional wrestler until the second he explodes.
When he’s standing in the center of the cage, he uses every bit of that 188 cm to intimidate. He looks down on people. Literally.
What This Means for His Future
If you're betting on or analyzing a Chimaev fight, keep an eye on the "Height vs. Reach" dynamic. Because his reach is 75 inches—which is actually average for middleweight—he doesn't always win the jab battle. He wins by using his height to create leverage in the clinch.
He’s a "vertical" grappler. He uses his long torso to wrap people up and his long legs to trip them.
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Fast Facts on Chimaev's Stats:
- Official Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
- Official Reach: 75 in (190 cm)
- Leg Reach: 40 in
- Weight Class: Middleweight (185 lbs)
- Birthplace: Chechnya, Russia (Fighting out of UAE)
If you're trying to gauge how he'll do in his next fight, don't just look at the 6'2" stat and assume he'll outstrike everyone. Look at how he uses that height to initiate the wrestling. That is where the real advantage lies.
To get the most out of following Khamzat's career, pay attention to the weigh-in photos. If he looks lean but not depleted, his 6'2" frame is going to be a problem for anyone in the world. Compare his frame to his next opponent's shoulder height; if Khamzat's shoulders are higher, his leverage in the takedown is almost impossible to stop.