Arman Tsarukyan says Khamzat Chimaev endured a brutal final-day weight cut before losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 328.
The fight took place last Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., where Chimaev ultimately made weight but, according to Tsarukyan, paid a steep price in the process.
"Last day, he had to cut 12 or 13 pounds. First nine pounds was easy, and then he felt bad during the night, and then he woke up and said to us, 'I feel so weak and, like, no energy. I don't know how I'm going to cut this last four pounds.' But we just pushed him so hard. He didn't want to do that. He didn't want to finish the cut, but the team, me and the coaches, we tried to push him to make the weight, and he made weight," Tsarukyan said, adding earlier, "He had to cut 13 pounds."
Chimaev, who entered UFC 328 with a 15-1 MMA and 9-1 UFC record, went the distance with Strickland, who came in with a 31-7 MMA and 18-7 UFC mark. After the fight, Chimaev told UFC CEO Dana White he wants to move up to light heavyweight.
