Khamzat Chimaev’s brother, Arthur, recently revealed a brutal event that nearly broke the fighter ahead of the UFC 328 fight. Khamzat lost his first match in 18 professional bouts and ceded his belt to Sean Strickland last Saturday at the Octagon. Arthur thinks a UFC decision to change Chimaev’s opponent and weight class may have affected his eventual performance on the night.
He also revealed first-person information about Khamzat’s preparation leading to the fight night. Besides administrative issues, Arthur identified a health concern that impaired the fighter’s performance. Reports from multiple online media show that many netizens identified an unusual demeanor in Khamzat that possibly lends credence to Arthur’s take.
Arthur Chimaev blames medical and administrative reasons for brother’s UFC 328 loss
Arthur claimed that the UFC planned a fight between Khamzat and Czech light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka for UFC 328. However, the promotion changed the schedule a few months before the occasion and replaced the 203-Ib fighter with Strickland, who fights in the 185-Ib class. The change reportedly forced Khamzat to make sudden weight cuts from 231 to 185 Ib which, according to Arthur, affected his medical readiness. According to Pelunaton, a UFC-themed X page, here’s what happened during the weight-cut sessions.
“With just 1.2 kg left to cut, Chimaev’s body collapsed: we had to interrupt the cut for an hour ebcuse his health wouldn’t allow him to continue.”
“They started the cut at 9 pm, and worked until he stepped on the scale (Chimaev showed up to the weigh-in at 10:40 am local time, 20 minutes before the deadline). He could only recover 11 or 13 Ib for the flight.”
Freestyle fighter Arman Tsarukyan controversially mentioned that the UFC had to cut Chimaev’s weight ahead of the tie. Arthur’s admission may provide some credence to Tsarukyan’s complaints ahead of the game. Meanwhile, many fans reportedly observed that Khamzat Chimaev lacked his usual pressure and physical dominance during the fight against Strickland.
There’s no denying the huge health burden that a weight cut brings to athletes. The intense process ultimately tests their endurance and strength levels in ways that can impair their readiness on fight day. Here’s another tale showing how the big fighters could lose bouts due to weigh-in procedures, even before the opening bell.
