Arman Tsarukyan Defends Legendary Conditioning Coach Being Blamed for Khamzat Chimaev’s Disappointment at UFC 328

UFC and RAF superstar Arman Tsarukyan defends Sam Calavitta after he was criticized for Khamzat Chimaev's performance at UFC 328.

Arman Tsarukyan Defends Legendary Conditioning Coach Being Blamed for Khamzat Chimaev’s Disappointment at UFC 328

Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev with Sam Calavitta (via Instagram)

Arman Tsarukyan was a major part of Khamzat Chimaev‘s camp in the lead-up to UFC 328. Despite making regular appearances under the RAF banner throughout the year, Tsarukyan made it a point to be available whenever possible during preparations. Recently, the Armenian superstar has addressed the backlash that legendary coach Sam Calavitta has faced since Chimaev’s split-decision loss at UFC 328.

Interestingly, Chimaev’s performance at UFC 328 looked majorly different from the aggressive style that made him a champion. He secured an early takedown against Sean Strickland but struggled to maintain that pace throughout the fight. Strickland gradually took control of the contest, forcing ‘Borz’ into a far more measured approach. The defeat marked the first loss of Chimaev’s professional MMA career.

For UFC 328, Chimaev shifted parts of his training from Santo Studios in Newport and The Treigning Lab in Southern California. He worked under Sam Calavitta in the coach’s garage gym to improve his conditioning and cardio. However, Chimaev appeared fatigued after the opening round. Tsarukyan recently defended Calavitta and dismissed claims that the coach was responsible for the outcome.

Because he lost, everyone is saying he’s doing the wrong things and that he overtrained. But Khamzat’s last training session in the garage was only 15-20 minutes. At this level, you’re a professional. You have to control yourself. If you feel tired, just skip the training.

Arman Tsarukyan via The Ariel Helwani Show

One of the main factors many believed affected Chimaev’s performance was his brutal weight cut before UFC 328. Some even speculated that the Chechen star struggled to make weight ahead of the bout. Tsarukyan previously revealed that Chimaev lost around 21 kilograms in a short period during camp. Many therefore pointed to the weight cut rather than his training as the cause of his cardio issues.

In the aftermath of UFC 328, many figures across the MMA community weighed in on what may have caused Chimaev’s defeat. UFC legend Kamaru Usman suggested that Chimaev lacked a proper head coach and experienced voices to guide key decisions during camp. Meanwhile, UFC bantamweight great T.J. Dillashaw pointed to the weight cut, arguing that the process may not have been planned correctly.

At Santo Studio, Chimaev trained alongside UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. and UFC featherweight Aaron Pico during his preparation for UFC 328. Both fighters later revealed that they struggled to keep up with the Chechen phenom during training sessions. Those accounts, combined with Arman Tsarukyan’s defense of Sam Calavitta, suggest Chimaev’s conditioning work was not lacking.

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Arman Tsarukyan details upcoming RAF 11 matchup against former UFC interim champion

Arman Tsarukyan has become one of the biggest stars under the RAF banner. The UFC lightweight contender has already competed five times for the promotion in 2026 alone, maintaining an unusually active schedule. Now, Tsarukyan is preparing for another high-profile challenge against former UFC welterweight Colby Covington. The matchup is scheduled to headline at RAF 11.

Arman Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan (via Bloody Elbow)

Tsarukyan recently defeated Mugzy at RAF 09, continuing his impressive run in the promotion. On the same card, Covington earned a 5-4 decision victory over former UFC champion Chris Weidman. The two fighters then faced off inside the arena before RAF officially announced them as the RAF 11 headliner. Since then, Tsarukyan has discussed how he expects the matchup to unfold when they finally meet.

It’s hard to compete with Colby on the talking, but it’s easy to compete in wrestling. It’s gonna be easy, 10-0. He’s gonna be tough in the first two minutes, then he’s gonna gas out, and I’m gonna do my job.

Arman tsarukyan via The Ariel Helwani Show

The matchup is particularly intriguing because both Tsarukyan and Covington remain undefeated in RAF competition. Before facing ‘Chaos’, the Armenian star is also scheduled to take on UFC legend Tony Ferguson at RAF 10. That contest represents another major assignment this year. If he reaches RAF 11 as planned, the Covington bout will mark Arman Tsarukyan’s seventh appearance for the promotion in 2026.

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