TJ Dillashaw disclosed shocking details about Khamzat Chimaev's weight cut before his fight with Sean Strickland, based on a conversation with nutritionist Sam Calavitta. Chimaev drank only one-quarter of the required water, vomited green bile, and was on the verge of death. The situation was complicated by Chimaev having only half a thyroid gland. Chimaev's team hired someone other than Calavitta for the final weight cut phase, who improperly managed the process. Despite the ordeal, Chimaev initially weighed in 16 pounds over the limit but ultimately made weight and competed.
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has revealed that middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev came dangerously close to death during his weight cut ahead of his fight against Sean Strickland, citing a conversation with nutritionist Sam Calavitta as the source of the alarming details.
Dillashaw disclosed that Chimaev consumed only one-quarter of the water required during the cut, vomited green bile, and was described as being on the verge of death. The situation was made significantly more dangerous by a pre-existing medical condition: Chimaev has only half a thyroid gland, which complicates the body's ability to regulate fluid and metabolic balance. Adding to the crisis, Chimaev's team had hired a different person — not Calavitta — to manage the final phase of the cut, and that individual reportedly mishandled the process.
Despite the life-threatening ordeal, Chimaev initially came in 16 pounds over the limit before ultimately making weight and competing in the bout.
Khamzat Chimaev, known as "Borz," carries a 15-1 record and is currently ranked number one in the middleweight division, placing him tenth in the pound-for-pound standings. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains out of Allstars Training Center, is one of the division's most dominant grapplers, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy of 60 percent.
Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion and holds a 31-7 record. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the American known as "Tarzan" brings a high-output striking game, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute across his career.
Why it matters
- The revelations raise serious questions about fighter safety protocols and weight-cut management at the elite level
- Chimaev's thyroid condition and the involvement of an unqualified cut supervisor point to systemic oversights in his camp's preparation
- As the number-one ranked middleweight contender, Chimaev's health and readiness have direct implications for the division's title picture
