Chimaev's Coach Explains Strickland Weight Cut Disaster

Khamzat Chimaev's coach has revealed that a late opponent switch caused the weight cut issues that plagued the middleweight champion before his shocking loss to Sean Strickland in May.

Murad Bichuev told Red Corner MMA that Chimaev was bulking up for a planned heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight bout against Jiri Prochazka when the UFC abruptly redirected him to defend his middleweight title instead. The compressed timeline left a heavier Chimaev scrambling to make 185 pounds, according to Bichuev.

Prochazka Prep Derailed Middleweight Defense

"The weight cut was an issue because he was initially set to face Procházka at 205," Bichuev said. "So, we were mostly focusing on his physique. He started gaining muscle. He was gaining weight more than before. And then they said, 'No, we're leaving this option aside; you have to fight Strickland at 185.' That's why we didn't have much time and we faced more problems than we expected."

Chimaev looked drained by the second round at UFC 327, abandoning his wrestling game and getting outworked on the feet by Strickland over five rounds. The Chechen-born fighter had teased a move to 205 after capturing the middleweight belt but has since called for a rematch with Strickland on social media.

Dana White said after the loss that Chimaev remained committed to moving up in weight. The rematch talk suggests those plans may be on hold.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Khamzat Chimaev coach explains weight cut issues before Sean Strickland loss