Former two-time UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw has shed light on the extreme difficulty of Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut leading up to his middleweight title fight against Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
Chimaev lost his middleweight title to Strickland via split decision. Following the fight, it was reported that Chimaev’s team revealed he had to shed nearly 14 pounds on the final day of his cut. While the initial nine pounds came off relatively easily, the remaining four to reach the 185-pound middleweight limit proved to be a severe struggle, with reports indicating Chimaev was reluctant to continue the process.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, T.J. Dillashaw stated that Chimaev was so desperate to make weight that he offered Sean Strickland $1 million to forgo the fight. Dillashaw attributed the problematic weight cut to issues with Chimaev’s nutritionist and team, suggesting they mishandled the final stages.
Dillashaw recounted witnessing Chimaev in a bathtub attempting to cut weight, a method he believes his own trusted coach, Sam Calavitta, would not employ. He described hearing “scary stories” about Chimaev “puking up green bile” and being on the verge of death before successfully making the official weigh-in. Dillashaw expressed his belief that Chimaev should not have been cleared to fight given his condition.
“I saw him sitting in the bathtub to cut weight,” Dillashaw said. “It was like, Sam wouldn’t have him sitting in the bathtub to cut weight. … And then to hear the story of what actually was happening to him and him puking up green bile and just all the like crazy sh*t. He should not have made it to the fight… How tough Khamzat is to do as well as he did on almost dying before getting on that scale. Like I’m saying, almost dying, like scary stories.”
Dillashaw emphasized the danger of Chimaev’s situation, noting that Chimaev has “half a thyroid,” which affects his metabolism. He stated, “His metabolism is half of a normal man. And so if you’re not treating it the right way, you could kill him. And I really believe he was on the verge of death making that weight cut.”
Despite the dire circumstances of the weight cut, Dillashaw also shared his opinion that Chimaev performed well enough to win the fight against Strickland and felt he was “robbed” of the victory. He believes this perceived injustice is why Strickland is hesitant to agree to a rematch.
“I thought he won at least three rounds with the fourth round even being close,” Dillashaw commented on the fight. “It was not a robbery… I’ve said that multiple times. It was a close fight due to Khamzat’s underperformance – massive underperformance. And that’s why Sean doesn’t want to fight him again.”
Dillashaw concluded by asserting that Chimaev requires better guidance and a more professional approach to weight cutting, including proper hydration management. He also expressed a desire for Chimaev to reclaim the middleweight title before considering a move to light heavyweight.
English Translation:
Former two-time UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw has provided further details about the brutal and horrifying nature of Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut prior to his fight with Sean Strickland.
Chimaev lost his middleweight title to Strickland earlier this month in the main event of UFC 328 by split decision. After the loss, Chimaev’s team and close friends revealed that “Borz” had to shed nearly 14 pounds on the final day. While Chimaev lost the first 9 pounds easily, dropping the last 4 to make 185 pounds was a nightmare, and according to Arman Tsarukyan, “Borz” did not want to complete the cut.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, T.J. Dillashaw revealed that Khamzat Chimaev was unwilling to make weight for UFC 328 and was prepared to pay Sean Strickland $1 million. Dillashaw placed blame on Chimaev’s nutritionist and team, claiming they failed to manage the final stages of the weight cut properly.
“I introduced him [Khamzat Chimaev] to Calavitta, and Sam Calavitta is the best in the business,” Dillashaw stated. “You can say whatever you want about it, what he does that people don’t do, he’s so smart, and the amount of work that he puts into a camp is insane. Like everything, the way you’re recovering, the supplements you’re taking, the minerals you’re missing in your body from blood work, hair samples, what your hormone levels are doing, like everything. [If] you want to reach that peak performance. He’s the guy to go with. And then, unfortunately, they had trusted someone else to do some of his nutrition and weight cut towards the end, and it just ruined it all.”
“I saw him sitting in the bathtub to cut weight. It was like, Sam wouldn’t have him sitting in the bathtub to cut weight… And then to hear the story of what actually was happening to him and him puking up green bile and just all the like crazy sh*t. He should not have made it to the fight… How tough Khamzat is to do as well as he did on almost dying before getting on that scale. Like I’m saying, almost dying, like scary stories.”
T.J. Dillashaw added:
“He wanted to give Strickland $1 million and say, ‘Hey, take it. I can’t make it, I’m going to die.’ And you forget this guy’s got half a thyroid, right? His metabolism is half of a normal man. And so if you’re not treating it the right way, you could kill him. And I really believe he was on the verge of death making that weight cut.”
During the same interview, Dillashaw claimed that, in his opinion, “Borz” did enough to win at UFC 328 but was “robbed.” Dillashaw believes this is why Sean Strickland is not ready to have a rematch with Chimaev.
“I thought he won at least three rounds with the fourth round even being close,” Dillashaw said. “It was not a robbery… I’ve said that multiple times. It was a close fight due to Khamzat’s underperformance – massive underperformance. And that’s why Sean doesn’t want to fight him again.”
Despite the brutal weight cut and Khamzat Chimaev’s health issues leading up to the fight, Dillashaw believes “Borz” still appeared to have the better cardio. He opined that Khamzat Chimaev needs the right guidance, a much more professional weight-cutting process, and proper water management when attempting to shed weight. Lastly, Dillashaw added that he wants Chimaev to reclaim the middleweight title before even considering moving up to the UFC light heavyweight division.
