Khamzat Chimaev was originally being prepared for a light heavyweight matchup against former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka before the promotion shifted plans and booked him against Sean Strickland at middleweight, according to his coach.
Chimaev lost the UFC middleweight title to Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 in May. After a dominant opening round, Chimaev appeared to slow significantly as the fight progressed, with reports emerging afterward that he had endured a difficult weight cut leading into the bout.
Speaking with Red Corner MMA, Chimaev's coach, Murad Bichuev, revealed that the UFC's initial plan had been for Chimaev to compete at 205 pounds against Prochazka, prompting changes to his training and physique before the matchup was scrapped.
“In his last fight, he faced more of a weight-cutting problem because initially, he was set to face Prochazka at 205 pounds. They focused more on his physique, and he started to gain muscle mass. He began to gain weight more than usual. And then they told him, no, this option is going away, you have to face Strickland at 185. That's why there was very little time. There turned out to be more problems than expected."
According to Bichuev, the late switch back to middleweight left Chimaev with less time than expected to shed the additional weight, contributing to the issues he experienced during fight week.
Despite the setback and the loss of his title, Bichuev said Chimaev has remained focused on getting another opportunity against Strickland.
“After the last fight, he has been constantly texting his manager, he wants that rematch.”
