Khamzat Chimaev experienced severe complications during his weight cut for UFC 328, with his body shutting down when 1.2kg remained. According to his brother's account, a doctor was called but they proceeded with the cut despite his brother believing the fight should have been cancelled. Chimaev's body failed to cooperate during the final stage of weight reduction before they ultimately completed the cut. Following his loss to Sean Strickland, Chimaev has requested a rematch for the fall Abu Dhabi event. The difficult weight cut appears to have significantly impacted his performance in the fight.
Khamzat Chimaev suffered severe complications during his weight cut ahead of UFC 328, with his brother revealing that the Borz's body effectively shut down when 1.2 kilograms still remained on the scale. A doctor was called during the crisis, yet the cut was ultimately completed despite his brother's belief that the fight should have been called off. Following the loss to Sean Strickland, Chimaev has formally requested a rematch at the fall Abu Dhabi event, with the grueling cut widely seen as a significant factor in his performance.
Chimaev, 30 — fighting out of the UAE under the Allstars Training Center banner — entered UFC 328 as the number-one ranked middleweight and the number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world, carrying a 15-1 record. The six-foot-two Borz is one of the sport's most ferocious wrestlers, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, and connects on an elite 60 percent of his significant strikes. That first career loss now stands as the lone blemish on an otherwise dominant resume.
Sean Strickland, meanwhile, retained his middleweight championship with the victory. The 35-year-old American, training out of Xtreme Couture, holds a 31-7 record and brings a relentless pace to every outing, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach that allows him to operate effectively from the outside. The champion's high-volume, pressure-heavy style made him a difficult opponent even for a healthy challenger.
Why it matters
- A rematch would headline a marquee Abu Dhabi card, one of the UFC's most commercially significant markets
- The weight cut revelations raise serious questions about whether Chimaev competed at full capacity, lending legitimacy to his rematch request
- Strickland's volume striking versus Chimaev's elite wrestling and accuracy sets up one of the division's most compelling stylistic clashes
- The outcome of a second fight would go a long way toward establishing the true middleweight hierarchy heading into late 2026
