Chimaev Weighed 105kg at Fight Announcement, Struggled to Make Middleweight

Vadim Tikhomirov conducted an interview with Khamzat Chimaev's older brother Said (Arthur), who explained Chimaev's poor performance against Strickland was due to an extreme weight cut. When the UFC 328 bout was announced in March, Chimaev weighed 105 kg as he expected to fight Jiri Prochazka at light heavyweight. Two weeks before the event he was at 97 kg, but his body failed when 1.2 kg remained to be cut, requiring a one-hour pause before completing the weight cut. After weigh-ins, Chimaev only regained 5-6 kg before the fight. Chimaev's team has requested a rematch with Strickland at middleweight in October in Abu Dhabi.