Khamzat Chimaev faced a dangerous weight cut before his fight with Sean Strickland after trusting the wrong people for the final stage of the cut. According to Sam Calavitta's account to TJ Dillashaw, Chimaev drank only one-quarter of the necessary water, was vomiting green bile, and reached a point where he was "on the verge of death." The situation was complicated by Chimaev having only half of his thyroid gland, which slows his metabolism. He lost four times the weight he should have in one session and nearly forfeited the fight. Despite the ordeal, Chimaev went on to compete and took three rounds in the fight.
New details have surfaced about the severity of Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut ahead of his middleweight fight with Sean Strickland, painting a harrowing picture of a preparation that came close to ending in tragedy.
According to an account relayed by Sam Calavitta to TJ Dillashaw, Chimaev consumed only one-quarter of the water required during the final stage of his cut, began vomiting green bile, and was described as being "on the verge of death." The situation was made significantly worse by a pre-existing medical condition: Chimaev has only half of his thyroid gland, which slows his metabolism and complicates the body's ability to regulate weight loss. In a single session, he shed four times the amount of weight he should have, and the fight itself nearly did not happen.
Chimaev, known as "Borz," carries a 15-1 record and holds the number one ranking in the middleweight division at 32 years old. Competing out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, he is one of the most statistically dominant fighters in the sport, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate.
Despite everything that unfolded behind the scenes, Chimaev did compete and took three rounds in the fight against Strickland.
Sean Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, holds a 31-7 record and fights out of Xtreme Couture. The 35-year-old American is an aggressive volume striker, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and carries a reach of 76 inches.
Why it matters
- The account raises serious questions about the medical oversight surrounding Chimaev's weight management
- Chimaev's thyroid condition adds a layer of complexity that could affect future fight preparations at middleweight
- As the division's top-ranked contender, his health and reliability heading into future bouts carries significant divisional implications
