Daniel Cormier responds after Khamzat Chimaev weigh-in sparks UFC controversy
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 weigh-in quickly became one of the biggest talking points before his fight with Sean Strickland. Chimaev looked completely drained and stepped on the scale close to the deadline, which immediately sparked debate among fans online. Footage of the process spread quickly, but Daniel Cormier believes the reaction has turned into a conspiracy without substance.
Daniel Cormier dismisses the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev failing to make weight Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC ‘DC’ replied after a post on X suggested Chimaev had missed weight and that the UFC was trying to hide it. The former UFC two-weight champion was having none of it, insisting the process showed Chimaev had successfully hit the middleweight limit. “He absolutely made weight!
When that thing broke down again, that says he weighed 185,” Cormier wrote, directly rejecting the online theory. That matters because the build-up to Chimaev vs Strickland has been huge. Their heated press conference on Thursday only added to the tension around the fight.
They have carried a long-running feud into fight week, and any weight issue would have created major frustration before they finally meet on Saturday. Arman Tsarukyan explains Khamzat Chimaev brutal weight cut The debate is still understandable because Chimaev’s weight cut appears to be severe, even if Cormier feels the weigh-in itself was clean. His friend Arman Tsarukyan told journalist Adam Zubayraev that Chimaev has to cut 21 kg, around 46 pounds, to make middleweight.
That is an enormous drop, and it helps explain why Chimaev looked so exhausted before reaching the scale. It may also explain why a move to light heavyweight has been discussed. Chimaev can still make 185, but the process looks increasingly punishing.