Falling short of the mark. Before UFC 308 was Chimaev's big night, there was UFC 279. Chimaev was scheduled to headline his first pay-per-view against box office draw Nate Diaz in September 2022.

Chimaev fought with a high sense of urgency against McKee after fighting at less than 100 percent in the Octagon due to fatigue suffered against Phillips just days earlier.

Just 10 days after his debut, Chimaev broke a UFC record as he stepped in on short notice to take on Rhys McKee, marking the quickest turnaround between fights in the promotion’s history. And ...

Ten days later, he knocked out Rhys McKee in round one. Two months later, Chimaev – switching between welterweight and middleweight – bludgeoned Gerald Meerschaert inside 17 seconds.