Khamzat Chimaev’s body “shut down” during his brutal UFC 328 weight cut before his loss to Sean Strickland, according to the formerly undefeated star’s brother.
Questions had already been raised after Chimaev appeared unusually fatigued during the five-round main event last weekend in New Jersey, where Strickland handed the middleweight champion the first defeat of his pro MMA career.
Now, fresh details from inside Chimaev’s camp have revealed just how serious the situation became in the lead-up to the fight.
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‘Borz’ already looked to be struggling during the official weigh-in earlier in the week, sparking concerns over his condition before he even stepped inside the cage.
“There was a problem with the weight cut,” his brother Artur told Sports.RU.
“The question became whether to cancel the fight or take the risk. When there was [2.7 pounds] left, his body shut down,” Chimaev’s brother said.
Artur then detailed the frightening physical issues Chimaev went through.
“Oxygen deprivation. His body malfunctioned. We had to stop for an hour because his health wouldn’t allow him to continue,” he explained.
“Khamzat himself said he didn’t know how he’d fight in that condition.”
Following the title fight UFC commentator Joe Rogan wondered if Chimaev let himself get heavier because he expected to move up to light heavyweight.
According to Artur, that was exactly the case.
“There was an agreement with the UFC that he would fight Jiri Prochazka at 205,” said Artur.
“The contract was already prepared, but then they asked him to fight Sean instead… so he accepted and decided to cut from [231 pounds] down to [185 pounds].
“By fight time, he had only regained around [11-13 pounds]… Two weeks before the fight he weighed [214 pounds].”
Following the defeat, Chimaev posted a cryptic message on social media directed at Strickland, appearing to hint at a rematch.
“See you again soon.”
He doubled-down on Monday, writing: “Let me know when you are ready @SStricklandMMA.”
Artur later confirmed Chimaev’s team is pushing for an immediate rematch rather than a move to light heavyweight.
“We’ve requested a rematch with Strickland,” he said.
“There’s an event in Abu Dhabi in October and we want to do it there.
“Khamzat isn’t the type of person to move to another weight class and leave unanswered questions behind.
“We want the second fight. Right now we have no other goals.”
Meanwhile, plenty across the MMA world have been speculating about why Chimaev looked far from his usual self at UFC 328.
Veteran referee and analyst ‘Big’ John McCarthy believes the issue may have stemmed from Chimaev’s diet during fight week.
“Well, I can tell you I found out a little bit about his weight cut and what occurred because, you know, I was surprised by it,” he said on the Weighing In podcast.
“I was told that the people around him didn’t feed him the food that he was supposed to get.
“They fed him other stuff. That created a problem where he ended up having to lose 14 pounds in that last bit and that’s what sucked him dry.”
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Elsewhere, former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson suggested Chimaev may have overtrained himself leading into the fight, arguing the Chechan Wolf’s famously intense cardio sessions could be hurting his performances.
“I think he trains too hard,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel.
“There comes a point where, once you’re already in shape, you can’t really push your cardio much further…If I spend all day sparring and drilling, then go destroy my body with extra workouts on top of that, I’m just breaking myself down.”
Johnson says there’s a point where the body just wears down.
“If I spend all day sparring and drilling, then go destroy my body with extra workouts on top of that, I’m just breaking myself down,” he explained.
“We’ve learned that less is more, and more is less.
“Sometimes you’re better off taking a couple of days off, relaxing instead of being in the gym twice a day every day.”
But not everyone is buying the explanation coming from Chimaev’s camp.
Former UFC star Chael Sonnen, who spent years competing at middleweight, dismissed the claims entirely and questioned the numbers being reported around the cut.
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“Told he cut 46 pounds the week of a fight,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel
“It’s not the statement, it’s that somebody in our industry would believe the statement that makes my blood boil.”