Jon Jones Urges 185-Pound Chimaev to Fix Cardio After 1st Loss to Strickland

Q: After a career built on suffocating pressure, was Chimaev's cardio collapse a fluke or the definitive blueprint to beat him?

It looks more like a warning sign than a definitive blueprint. The evidence says Chimaev’s collapse against Sean Strickland was likely amplified by circumstance. Reports around UFC 328 pointed to a brutal weight cut after he had initially been lined up for light heavyweight, with his team saying the cut badly compromised him. That matters, because Chimaev had previously shown he could sustain a punishing pace at 185, most notably against Dricus du Plessis, where he landed 12 takedowns, controlled long stretches, and set a UFC striking mark over five rounds. At the same time, Strickland’s win exposed a real tactical path. Chimaev’s style is built on explosive wrestling, top control and constant pressure, but it is energy-intensive. When Strickland survived the early surge, Chimaev’s wrestling volume dropped and the fight shifted. That fits what analysts such as Demetrious Johnson and Jon Jones have said: Chimaev may be overtaxing himself in camp, and he needs a better endurance program and more comfort fighting off his back. So the blueprint is not simply “wait and he fades.” It is more specific: deny easy early control, force him to work repeatedly for takedowns, extend the fight, and test areas he rarely has to show, especially defensive grappling and recovery under fatigue. If Chimaev fixes the conditioning issue and moderates the weight cut, the Strickland fight may look like an outlier. If not, opponents now have a credible model to follow.

2 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 22

Jon Jones said Khamzat Chimaev can rebound from his first career defeat by overhauling his endurance work, sharpening his mindset and getting more comfortable fighting off his back.
The advice follows Chimaev’s split-decision loss to Sean Strickland in his first UFC middleweight title defense, when a dominant opening round gave way to fading cardio and less wrestling.
Jones said Chimaev still has elite tools at 185 pounds — striking, kicking and body-lock wrestling — but needs a stronger bottom jiu-jitsu game so opponents cannot exploit that gap.
Chimaev had considered moving up to light heavyweight after the loss, but has stayed at middleweight and is pushing for an immediate rematch with Strickland before 2026 ends.