Arthur Chimaev reveals Khamzat nearly lost consciousness during 21kg weight cut

Arthur Chimaev, Khamzat's brother, provided detailed information about the troubled weight cut in an interview with Vadim Tikhomirov. When 1.2 kg remained, Khamzat's body failed and they were forced to pause for an hour due to health concerns before completing the cut. Khamzat nearly lost consciousness due to oxygen deprivation and body shutdown. Originally, UFC had arranged for Khamzat to fight Jiri Prochazka at 205 lbs with a signed contract, but was then asked to take the Strickland fight at 185 lbs instead. Khamzat agreed and attempted to cut from 231 lbs to 185 lbs. Two weeks before the fight he weighed 214 lbs, and by March 13 he was 231 lbs. By fight time, he had only regained 11-13 pounds. The team has requested a rematch with Strickland for October in Abu Dhabi.