More stories trail Khamzat Chimaev’s shocking UFC 328 defeat to Sean Strickland. The latest comes from Arman Tsarukyan, who claims Chimaev nearly gave up during brutal weight cut sessions. His story tallies with those of Chimaev’s brother, Arthur, who blamed medical reasons for Chimaev’s loss.
Chimaev had to make at most 185 pounds for his middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland through a grueling process. Although his official weigh-in was successful, he looked uneasy and sparked widespread concerns from fans. He later lost via split decision after a close five-round fight that saw Chimaev’s energy drop after winning Round 1.
Arman Tsarukyan claims Khamzat Chimaev lost before entering the Octagon
According to Tsarukyan, Chimaev lost the battle before the opening bell at the Octagon. He describes the Swedish fighter’s weigh-in process in graphic detail that shows Chimaev may have been unfit for the high-stakes fight. Tsarukyan made the disclosures during an episode on the UFC-themed Jaxxon Podcast, shutting down other rumors surrounding the fight.
“From day 1 of his training camp, he cut 40Ibs. He had to cut 13Ibs on the last day. The first 9Ibs was easy and he felt bad during then night, and then he woke up and said, ‘I feel so weak and have no energy. I don’t know how I’m gonna cut this 4Ibs.’ He didn’t wanna finish the cut, but the team pushed him.”
Chimaev reportedly had to cut down such a high amount of weight because he was gearing up for a 205 lb move. Reports from UFC commentator Joe Rogan and Tsarukyan promoted this narrative. However, it’s unclear whether the UFC and Chimaev agreed on the fighter’s reported weight-class narrative.
Regardless of the actual pre-fight events, Chimaev looked so bad on the scale that social media rumors claimed he missed the weight. However, Tsarukyan shot down any claims of favoritism from the UFC during the weigh-in sessions. The Armenian-Russian legendary fighter argued that the UFC’s protocol is too sophisticated and transparent to permit such fraud.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan reportedly claimed that Chimaev’s fight against Strickland would have gone differently if the weight-cut issues hadn’t impaired his health conditions.