TJ Dillashaw disclosed that Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut for the Sean Strickland fight reached a critical point, with Chimaev vomiting green bile and nearing death. According to Dillashaw, Chimaev's team removed strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta from the final phase of the weight cut and hired a different person. Chimaev drank only one-quarter of the required water and cut four times more weight than planned at once, at one point wanting to pay Strickland a million dollars to cancel the fight. The situation was complicated by Chimaev having only half of his thyroid gland, which slows his metabolism by half.
TJ Dillashaw has revealed that Khamzat Chimaev came dangerously close to a medical emergency during his weight cut ahead of the fight against Sean Strickland, describing scenes in which Chimaev was vomiting green bile and, at one point, was near death.
Dillashaw disclosed that the situation inside the Chimaev camp became so dire that his team removed strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta from the final phase of the cut and brought in a replacement. According to Dillashaw, Chimaev drank only a quarter of the water he was supposed to consume during the process and cut four times more weight than originally planned in a single session. The crisis reportedly reached a point where Chimaev wanted to pay Strickland one million dollars to cancel the bout entirely. Dillashaw also noted that Chimaev has only half of his thyroid gland, a condition that effectively slows his metabolism by half and significantly complicates extreme weight cutting.
Chimaev, 32, represents one of the most dangerous competitors in the middleweight division. The UAE-based fighter holds a 15-1-0 record and enters the contest ranked first in the division and tenth pound-for-pound. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, he is a ferocious grappler, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion at 35 years old, carries a 31-7-0 record and trains out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-one American has a 76-inch reach and is among the highest-volume strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- The severity of Chimaev's weight cut raises real questions about his physical condition heading into a title fight against the middleweight champion.
- Chimaev's thyroid condition adds a medically documented layer of complexity to future weight management at 185 pounds.
- A Chimaev victory would reshape the middleweight landscape given his number-one ranking; a performance affected by the cut could complicate that narrative.
