Khamzat Chimaev seemingly went through a grueling weight cut for his first UFC title defense.
Chimaev is slated to defend his middleweight title against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 on Saturday night inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The rivalry between Chimaev and Strickland has been fueled by nonstop verbal jabs and deeply personal shots throughout the buildup to UFC 328. Tensions boiled over once again during the pre-fight press conference, where both fighters traded heated insults and profanity in front of the crowd. Things escalated further during their faceoff, as “Borz” suddenly lost his cool and kicked the outspoken American.
However, there was no sign of that same aggression during the official UFC 328 weigh-ins on Friday, where the undefeated Chechen appeared to be a shell of himself. Chimaev was the last fighter to weigh in, and although the reigning middleweight champion successfully hit the 185-pound limit, he appeared severely drained and struggled to hide the toll of a brutal weight cut.
Arman Tsarukyan, who has been closely involved in his camp, later revealed that Chimaev went through a brutal weight cut ahead of UFC 328, claiming “Borz” had to drop nearly 45 pounds during fight week to successfully make 185 pounds.
Fans Left Shocked After Khamzat Chimaev Appears Visibly Drained During UFC 328 Weigh-Ins
Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 weigh-in appearance quickly went viral across social media, with fans flooding the internet after noticing how unusually drained “Borz” looked on the scale, and even as he walked out of the room, he appeared completely lifeless.
His troubling demeanor immediately left many fans questioning how much the brutal weight cut may have taken out of him ahead of fight night, with some even predicting that he could suffer the first loss of his professional career tomorrow night.
Khamzat Chimaev remains unbeaten inside the Octagon with a dominant 9-0 UFC record that includes notable victories over Robert Whittaker, Kamaru Usman, and Gilbert Burns. “Borz” last competed at UFC 319 in August 2025, where he captured the middleweight title by defeating Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision.
