In an exclusive interview with Sexto Round, Alan Finfou, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach behind Khamzat Chimaev‘s ground game evolution, revealed the remarkable journey that transformed a wrestling-focused factory worker into one of the UFC’s most feared grapplers.
Finfou, a multi-champion in jiu-jitsu who made the unlikely journey from Rio de Janeiro’s Cantagalo favela to Stockholm, Sweden, first encountered Chimaev in 2017 at his Allstars Training Center. The initial meeting was far from impressive.
“I didn’t give it any idea, I didn’t have much faith,”
Finfou admitted.
“I’ve seen so many guys arrive at the gym and talk a lot and then less than a month later they give up.”
What changed everything was Chimaev‘s persistence and approach to learning. During a particularly frustrating grappling session, the Chechen-Swedish star approached his coach with a crucial request:
“Coach, I can’t take it anymore, man. Everyone keeps strangling me and stuff, man, you teach me and stuff.”
This moment marked the beginning of a unique coaching relationship. Finfou recognized that Chimaev already possessed exceptional wrestling foundations and simply needed to adapt his existing skills to jiu-jitsu.
“I started to notice that he already had it, he was already very good at a part and then I just had to add some details or fill him with positions that suited him on the ground,”
the coach explained.
The bond between the two men transcended typical coach-athlete relationships. Both coming from humble backgrounds — Finfou from a Brazilian favela and Chimaev from challenging circumstances in Chechnya — they found common ground in their shared experiences of adversity.
“I think he saw that I was the coach in that area, so he came to ask me for information and among all the guys I was the only coach and migrant there. He began to identify with it,”
Finfou noted.
What makes Chimaev‘s jiu-jitsu unique, according to his coach, is the seamless integration of his wrestling background with Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques. Rather than completely rebuilding his ground game, Finfou focused on enhancing what Chimaev already knew.
“Everything that was finishing, that needed to make this type of adjustment or this was very easy for him because he had been doing it for a long time.”
The coach’s philosophy emphasizes completeness over specialization. When discussing Chimaev‘s upcoming title bout, Finfou stressed the importance of being prepared for all aspects of combat:
“I believe that for this type of fight the guy has to be prepared to fight in all areas. It’s difficult to plan a game and then suddenly things don’t work out.”
Finfou‘s coaching approach extends beyond technical instruction to character development. He’s had to suspend Chimaev from training multiple times for behavioral issues, treating discipline as seriously as technique.
“You disrespected me, you disrespected everyone here,”
he once told the future contender after an outburst, demonstrating the high standards he maintains regardless of an athlete’s status.
The relationship hasn’t been without challenges. Finfou described navigating Chimaev through the pressures of sudden UFC stardom including legal troubles and distractions that threatened to derail his career. Through frank conversations about priorities and consequences, the coach helped his student maintain focus on long-term goals.
Today, as Chimaev prepares for championship opportunities, Finfou‘s influence on his jiu-jitsu game represents more than technical coaching — it’s a testament to how understanding an athlete’s background and adapting training methods accordingly can create something truly unique in mixed martial arts.
