Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 Loss to Sean Strickland Due to UFC Changing Plans, Says Coach

Narrative about Khamzat Chimaev's struggle with weight explained as 'Borz' makes case for a rematch against Sean Strickland.

Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 Loss to Sean Strickland Due to UFC Changing Plans, Says Coach

Khamzat Chimaev wants a rematch against Sean Strickland [via Reddit and MMA Fighting]

Khamzat Chimaev has called for a rematch against his rival Sean Strickland ever since losing the middleweight title at UFC 328. Without a title defense, instances of a former champion getting a rematch are rare. The UFC hasn’t decided on the next title fight as Strickland is injured at the moment.

Other middleweight contenders like Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus Du Plessis remain in the wings wanting a crack at the title. Imavov has a five-fight winning streak and DDP has two wins over Strickland to stake their claim.

Nevertheless, Chimaev is eagerly awaiting the chance to get revenge against the current champion. The weight cut has been cited as a problem for Chimaev as the reason for losing at UFC 328. The Chechen’s coach, Murad Bichuev, revealed what went behind-the-scenes to even have a weight cut issue for UFC 328.

The weight cut was an issue because he was initially set to face Prochazka at 205. So we were mostly focusing on his physique. He started gaining muscle… Then they told us he had to fight Strickland at 185 instead. We didn’t have much time, and we faced more problems than we expected.

Murad Bichuev told Red Corner MMA

Alex Pereira leaving the light heavyweight division in 2026 to pursue a third divisional title left a vacant spot in the 205-pound division. Chimaev eyed the vacant title and started bulking to face Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327. However, the plans changed after UFC Houston in February.

At UFC Houston, Sean Strickland defeated Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez via TKO in a statement performance. Soon, Dana White and the UFC brass wanted to capitalize on the heated rivalry between Strickland and Chimaev.

To complete the booking of the first quarter of 2026, the promotion booked the Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg for UFC 327 in April and Chimaev vs. Strickland for UFC 328 in May. According to Bichuev, the change of plans presented problems for Chimaev’s attempt to bulk up for 205lbs debut.

Arman Tsarukyan revealed that Chimaev cut as much as 45 pounds to make weight for UFC 328. The weigh-in attempt sparked controversy as UFC veteran Dustin Poirier questioned its legitimacy for suspicious activities. Strickland claimed that Chimaev missed weight in a heated rant.

With reasons coming from Chimaev’s team, Strickland had a busted shoulder entering UFC 328. As such, both fighters had issues before fighting. Recently, Dana White revealed that it was up to the fans to decide whether they want a rematch or not. Hence, a rematch is in question at the moment.

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RAF books return of Khamzat Chimaev against former UFC champion

The MMA return of Khamzat Chimaev really depends on a lot of factors. At the moment, the UFC is figuring out the middleweight division. However, Chimaev won’t stay in the sidelines for long as Real American Freestyle booked him as the main event for their debut event in Russia.

Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev (via Bloody Elbow)

Russia has plenty of talented wrestlers, and a growing promotion like RAF has to enter that market to create various matchups. As such, who better than ‘Borz’ to headline the event in Russia. Chimaev will face former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, in the main event.

Woodley left the UFC on a four-fight losing streak, with the last appearance coming in March 2021 against Vicente Luque at UFC 260. Since then, he competed in three boxing bouts, but lost all three bouts (twice against Jake Paul and once to Anderson Silva).

Facing someone like Chimaev will be certainly a challenge for the 44-year-old veteran. Meanwhile, Chimaev will compete to put the controversial win against Dillon Danis behind him after starting a brawl.

The incident put both Chimaev and Danis in a negative light, and ‘Borz’ has to think of fan-friendly motive of RAF for the event in Russia.

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