So, I was scrolling through my Insta feed the other day, just minding my own business, and BAM! There it was – a picture of Khamzat Chimaev. But something was off. It took me a minute, but then I realized… the dude shaved his beard!
Now, I’m not one to keep up with every little thing these fighters do, but even I know Khamzat’s beard is like, his trademark. It’s like Samson and his hair, you know? You just don’t mess with it.
I immediately dove into the comment section, and it was a war zone. Half the people were losing their minds, saying he looks weird and he’s lost his power. The other half were like, “Who cares? He’s still gonna smash everyone.”
This got me thinking. Does a beard really make a difference in a fight? I mean, it’s not like he’s gonna headbutt someone with it. Or is it more of a mental thing? Like, he sees his own reflection, no beard, and he’s not feeling like the same beast anymore?
I decided to do a little experiment of my own. Now, I’m no fighter, but I do have a beard. A pretty glorious one, if I may say so myself. So, I decided to shave it off and see if it affected my… well, anything.
First, I went to the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Said my goodbyes, you know, the whole nine yards. Grabbed my razor, and with a heavy heart, started shaving.
- First swipe, cheek number one. Felt weird.
- Second swipe, cheek number two. Still weird.
- Chin time. This was the hardest part.
- Under the nose. I almost chickened out.
- Done. I looked like a naked mole rat.
The result? I felt… different. Not weaker, necessarily, but just… different. Like a part of me was missing. I went about my day, did my usual stuff, but it just wasn’t the same. Did I feel less confident? Maybe. Did my workouts suffer? Not really. But that feeling of something being off just lingered.
So, back to Khamzat. I don’t know what his reasons were, and it’s his face, his choice. But from my little experiment, I can kinda see how shaving his beard might mess with him a bit. Or maybe it won’t. Maybe he’ll come out even stronger, who knows?
My conclusion
All I know is, I’m growing my beard back. It just feels right, you know? As for Khamzat, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in his next fight. Beard or no beard, the guy’s a monster. It’s gonna be interesting, that’s for sure.
