Arthur Chimaev provided detailed information about his brother Khamzat's weight cut struggles before UFC 328 in an interview with Vadim Tikhomirov. When 1.2 kg remained, Khamzat's body shut down due to oxygen deprivation, forcing an hour-long pause before continuing. Khamzat expressed uncertainty about fighting in such condition, and his second-round performance reflected his body's failure to recover. The fighter had agreed to face Jiri Prochazka at 93 kg but accepted a late change to fight Strickland at 84 kg, requiring a cut from 105 kg. Two weeks before the fight Khamzat weighed 97 kg, but by March 13 was back at 105 kg. After weigh-ins, he only regained 5-6 kg instead of a typical recovery. The team has requested a rematch with Strickland for October in Abu Dhabi.
Khamzat Chimaev came dangerously close to losing consciousness during his weight cut ahead of UFC 328 on May 9, according to his brother Arthur, who gave a detailed account of the ordeal in an interview with journalist Vadim Tikhomirov.
Arthur Chimaev revealed that when Khamzat had 1.2 kilograms left to shed, his body effectively shut down due to oxygen deprivation, forcing the team to halt the cut for approximately an hour before resuming. Khamzat himself expressed doubt about whether he was in any condition to compete, and his second-round performance, according to Arthur, reflected a body that never fully recovered. The rehydration after weigh-ins yielded only five to six kilograms, well below what a fighter of his size would typically recover. The root of the problem was a late adjustment to the fight: Chimaev had originally agreed to meet Jiri Prochazka at 93 kilograms but accepted a last-minute matchup against Sean Strickland at 84 kilograms, requiring a cut from 105 kilograms. Two weeks before the event he still weighed 97 kilograms, and by March 13 he had climbed back to 105.
Chimaev, 32, carries a 15-1 record and holds the number-one middleweight ranking as well as a place in the pound-for-pound top ten. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center under the UAE flag, the six-foot-two welterweight-turned-middleweight owns a striking accuracy of 60 percent and a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per fifteen minutes, making him one of the most physically dominant fighters in the division.
His opponent, Sean Strickland, is the current middleweight champion at 31-7. The 35-year-old American trains at Xtreme Couture and applies relentless forward pressure, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute across his career with a 76-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's weight-cut crisis raises serious questions about his long-term viability at 84 kilograms
- The team has already formally requested a rematch with Strickland for October in Abu Dhabi
- A healthy Chimaev, ranked number one, represents the division's most credible title challenger if the rematch is made
Saturday, May 9, 2026
