Members of his team believe that Khamzat Chimaev wasn’t at his best against Sean Strickland when he defended his UFC 328 title. Chimaev’s first defeat in his pro MMA career came Saturday night at UFC 328 when Strickland won the UFC middleweight title via split decision in the main event.
Khamzat dominated the early rounds of the bout, but his attack died down in the middle, and he lost control in the later stages, allowing Strickland to seize control at key moments. Since the event, more information has surfaced about Chimaev’s challenging weight loss, which reportedly had to be addressed before entering the Octagon.
Concerns Raised Before Fight Night
Before UFC 328, there were rumors that Chimaev was facing problems during the fight week. The former champion didn’t seem to be at ease when weighing in, with some observers wondering how difficult it had become for him to make the 185-pound cut.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggested that Khamzat may have originally expected to compete at light heavyweight before later accepting the middleweight fight against Strickland. Those theories were later supported by Chimaev’s brother, Artur, while discussing the aftermath of the fight.
Chimaev’s Body Shut Down
The weight cut was really dangerous toward the end of the week ahead of UFC 328. There were even discussions about whether the fight should continue because Chimaev was struggling physically during the weight cut. According to him, as the weight dropped, Chimaev’s body started shutting down as a result of exhaustion and deprivation of oxygen.
Artur said they had to temporarily halt the process as his brother’s condition was worsening and it would be unsafe to proceed. He added that Khamzat himself was uncertain how he would perform in that condition once fight night arrived.
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