Dustin Poirier Questions Legitimacy Surrounding Khamzat Chimaev’s Weigh In Attempt

Retired UFC fighter Dustin Poirier has questioned the legitimacy of Khamzat Chimaev successfully making weight heading into UFC 328.

Dustin Poirier Questions Legitimacy Surrounding Khamzat Chimaev’s Weigh In Attempt

Dustin Poirier question Khamzat Chimaev's weigh-in attempt [via MMA Mania and Yahoo Sports]

In Short
  • Dustin Poirier questions the legitimacy of Khamzat Chimaev's weigh-in for UFC 328.
  • Chimaev appeared drained on the scale, raising concerns about his weight accuracy.
  • Both Poirier and Bryce Mitchell suggest the weigh-in process may have been manipulated.

Both Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev officially made weight to finalize the UFC 328 main event in Newark. Chimaev was the last fighter to step on the scale. Judging from his drained appearance, many feared he would not make weight, but he ended up weighing in at the 185lbs championship limit. However, fighter-turned-analyst Dustin Poirier believes the weigh-in was dubious.

Khamzat Chimaev is hot off the heels of an explosive press conference and confrontation with Sean Strickland. The two are set to be the main event for UFC 328, but have shown that they may not necessarily wait that long to come to blows. Despite all the drama caused by their altercation, Khamzat Chimaev’s alleged weight miss has gripped MMA fans and analysts alike.

That includes Dustin Poirier, who brought it up while talking to veteran journalist Ariel Helwani. The pair were discussing a move up in weight for ‘Borz’ to the 205lbs division. This led them to arrive at the Chechen’s weigh-in, which in turn led to the ‘Diamond’ questioning the legitimacy of Chimaev making weight heading into UFC 328.

He looked bad on the scale, I thought…Well, dude, if you watch the video, as soon as he steps on the scale, they say 185. It didn’t even have time to balance. You know, this is like a hang scale. As soon as he steps on 185, even if you read the weight quick, you have to let it balance to see if the guy’s on. Or if it’s still balancing, he’s a couple ounces[off]. You know, it’s tough to say.

Dustin Poirier via Ariel Helwani Live!

Only one champion in UFC history has missed weight before a championship fight and consequently been stripped of their title. That dubious honor belongs to Charles Oliveira.

The Brazilian fighter controversially missed weight by half a pound at UFC 274, and was subsequently forced to vacate his title. Moreover, he was ineligible to win it back in the main event of UFC 274, which meant only Justin Gaethje was fighting for a title that night.

However, there were several instances of shady weigh-ins during UFC title fights. Daniel Cormier mentioned the infamous “Towelgate” incident in his Hall of Fame speech, which shocked his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov. DC admitted to leaning on a towel to make weight heading into his fight against Anthony Johnson.

Another famous instance is Khabib Nurmagomedov himself, allegedly missing weight for his final fight at UFC 254. Ultimately, the aforementioned stories have all been speculation on the MMA fans’ part. These fighters all officially weighed in under the championship weight limit, much like Khamzat Chimaev. However, despite his successful weigh-in being official, a controversial fighter does not believe it.

RELATED
“You Can’t be That Guy,” Dana White Rips Modern Men’s Mental Health Culture

Bryce Mitchell reacts to Khamzat Chimaev allegedly missing weight

Bryce Mitchell has not fought in the UFC since his bantamweight debut and win over Said Nurmagomedov in July 2025. He is set to end his nearly year-long hiatus in June against fellow American Victor Henry. Despite his relative inactivity in the cage, the former featherweight has remained quite active in MMA discourse, chiming in on the Khamzat Chimaev weigh-in saga.

Bryce Mitchell, Khamzat Chimaev
Bryce Mitchell questions Khamzat Chimaev’s weigh-in at UFC 328 [via UFC.com and Yahoo Sports]

Much like Dustin Poirier, Bryce Mitchell believes there was something fishy surrounding Chimaev’s weigh-in for UFC 328. However, unlike Poirier, Mitchell has floated a conspiracy theory. He believes the middleweight champion missed weight, but the powers that be want Strickland to lose, so they covered it up.

I’ve been making weight since I was 17 years old. I’m almost 32 now, it’s almost been 15 years. I know what it looks like when somebody makes that weight. They have to stand completely still, the little thingy me bob on the scale, it has to balance. That dude [Chimaev] didn’t make that weight…He didn’t make that weight, and I think Sean’s champ already. So I really think it’s rigged against Sean. They don’t want him to win because they can’t control what he says.

Bryce Mitchell via social media

The American fighter’s assessment of the weigh-in itself lines up with Poirier’s. Both have alleged that, unlike digital scales, physical scales need a brief interval to accurately measure a fighter’s weight and display it. However, in Chimaev’s case, his weight was announced almost immediately.

Nonetheless, the UFC 328 main event being official has rendered discussions about Khamzat Chimaev missing weight pointless. Had he missed weight, ‘Borz’ would have become ineligible to win the title at UFC 328 even if he won the fight itself. However, as things stand, he is set to defend his middleweight belt against Sean Strickland tonight!

Also Read: