Khamzat Chimaev hands down had to be the no-brainer choice for MMA Junkie’s 2020 “Newcomer of the Year.” Although there was plenty of fresh blood thriving in the UFC in 2020, no fighter made a bigger splash than Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The 26-year-old became a rising star in the MMA world and managed to land on the UFC’s official welterweight rankings in just a span of five months. Chimaev made his UFC debut on short notice at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi, smashing veteran and former BAMMA middleweight champion John Phillips to then submit him with a D’arce choke in the second round. Phillips had more than 30 professional fights while Chimaev had just six. It was a big jump in experience for a UFC debut.
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MMA Junkie’s 2020 ‘Newcomer of the Year’: Khamzat Chimaev becomes smash hit – MMA Junkie