Chimaev Needed 13-Pound Cut to Make 185 for UFC 328 as Rematch Push Clouds Future
Updated
Updated · Heavy.com · May 19
Chimaev Needed 13-Pound Cut to Make 185 for UFC 328 as Rematch Push Clouds Future
5 articles · Updated · Heavy.com · May 19
Arman Tsarukyan said Khamzat Chimaev had to shed 12 to 13 pounds on the final day before UFC 328, with the last four pounds leaving him weak and without energy.
Tsarukyan said Chimaev did not want to finish the cut, but teammates and coaches pushed him through to make the 185-pound championship limit as the last fighter to hit the scale.
The disclosure adds detail to Chimaev’s split-decision title loss to Sean Strickland on May 9 in Newark, after Chimaev’s brother had already said his body “shut down” during the cut.
Chimaev told Dana White after the fight he planned to move up to 205 pounds, but has since said he wants a middleweight rematch with Strickland.
That rematch is uncertain because White has already indicated Nassourdine Imavov is next in line to face the new champion.
Is Chimaev's dangerous ordeal the final straw needed to reform MMA's extreme weight-cutting rules?
Was the brutal weight cut the real reason for defeat, or did Strickland simply expose Chimaev's weaknesses?
Should Chimaev risk his health for a rematch or prioritize his future by moving up in weight?