Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has revealed disturbing details about Khamzat Chimaev’s brutal weight cut ahead of UFC 328, shedding new light on what may have gone wrong before the former middleweight champion lost his belt to Sean Strickland.
According to TJ Dillashaw, Chimaev’s body nearly shut down during fight week after what he described as a dangerously mishandled weight cut.
Chimaev suffered the first loss of his professional MMA career when Strickland edged him by split decision in their heated UFC 328 title clash. While the five-round war was razor-close, concerns had already surfaced before the fight after Chimaev looked visibly drained and weak at the official weigh-ins.
Now, TJ Dillashaw says the real situation was far worse than fans realized.
Speaking recently to MMA Fighting, Dillashaw claimed poor advice during Chimaev’s final weight cut pushed him to the brink.
“The water,” TJ Dillashaw said when asked what went wrong.“If I could put it down to one thing, it was the water. Your body will shut down if you lose too much too fast. You can’t drop 10 pounds all at once and not drink enough water to tell your brain and body to keep pushing.”
Dillashaw explained that Chimaev’s body stopped responding because he failed to hydrate properly during the final stages of the cut.
“He drank a quarter of the water he was supposed to drink and then lost four times the amount he should have lost in one sitting,” Dillashaw said. “His body just gave out.”
The former UFC champion added that the situation became so severe Chimaev reportedly wanted to pull out of the fight altogether.
“He wanted to give Strickland $1 million and say, ‘Take it. I can’t make it. I’m going to die.’”
According to TJ Dillashaw, Chimaev’s medical condition made the situation even more dangerous.
“You’ve got to remember this guy has half a thyroid. His metabolism is half that of a normal person. If you don’t handle that correctly, you could kill him. I truly believe he was on the verge of death making that weight.”
Dillashaw, who has extensive experience with high-level weight cuts, also criticized some of the methods used during fight week.
“And then I saw him sitting in the bathtub to cut weight,” he said. “Sam Calavitta would never have him doing that.”
He continued by detailing just how serious things became behind closed doors.
“When I heard the full story, him puking green bile and everything else, it was crazy. He should never have made it to that fight.”
Despite the brutal circumstances, TJ Dillashaw believes Chimaev still delivered a remarkable performance against Strickland.
“I thought he won at least three rounds,” Dillashaw said.“It wasn’t a robbery either way, but people need to understand what he pushed through to compete that night. What he did was incredibly impressive considering what his body had gone through.”
The aftermath of UFC 328 has sparked fresh questions about Chimaev’s future. While UFC CEO Dana White previously suggested Chimaev could move up to light heavyweight, reports indicate the former champion wants an immediate rematch with Strickland instead.
If that rematch happens, TJ Dillashaw believes Chimaev must overhaul his approach to making championship weight.
“He needs to do it the right way,” Dillashaw said.“He should get that 185-pound title back before even thinking about moving up. The talent is there. The problem was never his ability — it was the weight cut.”
For now, TJ Dillashaw’s comments have added a dramatic new layer to the fallout from UFC 328, with many now viewing Chimaev’s loss through a very different lens.
