Khamzat Chimaev trusted the wrong people at the end of his camp and drank only one-quarter of the required water during his weight cut for UFC 328 against Sean Strickland. Sam Calavitta revealed Chimaev was vomiting green bile and was on the verge of death, with the situation complicated by Chimaev having only half a thyroid gland. Chimaev cut four times more weight than planned in a single session and wanted to forfeit a million dollars to Strickland rather than continue.
Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut ahead of UFC 328 against Sean Strickland descended into a medical emergency, with coach Sam Calavitta revealing the middleweight contender consumed only one-quarter of the water required during the process and came close to losing his life.
Calavitta disclosed that Chimaev was vomiting green bile during the cut, a situation made significantly more dangerous by the fact that Chimaev is functioning with only half a thyroid gland. The consequences were severe: Chimaev ended up cutting four times more weight than originally planned in a single session. The ordeal left him so depleted that he reportedly told his team he would rather forfeit a million dollars to Strickland than continue. Calavitta attributed the breakdown to Chimaev placing his trust in the wrong people at the end of his training camp.
Chimaev, 32, enters the fight ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth on the pound-for-pound list, carrying a 15-1 professional record. The UAE-based Allstars Training Center product stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach and has built his reputation on elite grappling, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy rate of 60 percent.
His opponent, Sean Strickland, holds the middleweight championship at 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture is one of the busiest strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a reach of 76 inches.
Why it matters
- The severity of the weight cut raises questions about Chimaev's physical condition heading into a world title fight
- Chimaev's half thyroid gland adds a documented medical dimension that amplifies the risk of extreme cuts
- A number-one contender arriving in compromised condition against an active champion with elite volume striking sharpens the stakes of an already high-profile matchup
