TJ Dillashaw disclosed shocking details about Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut before his fight with Sean Strickland. Chimaev consumed only a quarter of the required water intake, vomited green bile, and was on the verge of death during the cut. The situation was complicated by the fact that Chimaev has only half a thyroid gland, which slows his metabolism by half. Chimaev's team switched to a different weight-cut specialist late in camp, overriding advice from Sam Calavitta, which led to the disastrous outcome.
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has come forward with alarming details about the weight cut Khamzat Chimaev endured ahead of his middleweight bout with Sean Strickland, painting a picture of a preparation that reportedly pushed the fighter to the edge of his life.
According to Dillashaw, Chimaev consumed only a quarter of the water intake required during his cut and was vomiting green bile, with those close to the situation describing his condition as life-threatening. Dillashaw also revealed that Chimaev has only half a functioning thyroid gland, a medical condition that effectively cuts his metabolic rate in half and makes extreme weight cuts significantly more dangerous for him than for most fighters.
Compounding the crisis, Chimaev's team made a late-camp decision to switch weight-cut specialists, abandoning the guidance of respected performance coach Sam Calavitta in favor of a different approach. That change, Dillashaw indicated, was a central factor in the disastrous outcome.
Chimaev, 30 years old and fighting out of Allstars Training Center, carries a 15-1 record and holds the number-one ranking at middleweight, as well as a top-ten pound-for-pound position. The six-foot-two Emirati-based Chechen is one of the division's most physically dominant forces, averaging 5.29 takedowns per fifteen minutes and connecting on 60 percent of his significant strikes.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, is a 35-year-old Xtreme Couture product with a 31-7 record. The six-foot-one American throws volume at a rate of 6.04 significant strikes per minute and owns a 76-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's long-term ability to compete safely at middleweight is now a serious question given his thyroid condition
- A botched cut of this severity raises questions about medical clearance and team decision-making leading into a title fight
- The revelation adds significant context to any future discussions about Chimaev's divisional home and physical readiness
