Weight can be a weapon in MMA, and Khamzat Chimaev knows it all too well. The bigger you are on fight night, the more power you can carry, the more pressure you can apply. But there’s a trade-off: getting there can push the body to its limits. ‘Borz’ has fought in two divisions—welterweight and middleweight—during his time in the UFC.
He’s dominated men who’ve looked clearly smaller than him. But he’s also stared down the scale and felt it fight back. So, how heavy is Chimaev when he’s not cutting to make weight? And just how far does he push his body before stepping into the Octagon?
What weight does Chimaev walk around at?
For those unaware, weight cutting is a grueling process where fighters drop multiple pounds rapidly before a fight. Unlike the celebrities slimming down for red carpet events, this isn’t just about looking good; it’s about qualifying for a smaller weight division. But how do they do it? It involves extreme measures like dehydration, fasting, and sweating it out in saunas or with special suits.
This isn’t just about fitting into a weight class; it is also about strategy. Fighters aim to weigh in as light as possible, then rehydrate and bulk back up before stepping into the ring or cage. It’s a risky game, but for many athletes, it is a way to gain a size advantage over their opponent.
For Khamzat Chimaev, whose fighting style hinges on his elite wrestling skills, complemented by dangerous striking, the weight advantage was massive as a welterweight. Various sources revealed that during his time in the 170 lbs division, ‘Borz’ was walking around at roughly 195 lbs!
The prime example of the size disparity at welterweight for Chimaev was evident in his bout against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in 2022. Standing at 6’2 inches tall and rehydrated back to 195 lbs after the weigh-ins, ‘Borz’ looked visibly bigger than ‘Durinho’ inside the cage. Although the fight was a closely contested affair, Chimaev walked away victorious with a unanimous decision win on the night.
In fact, in 2023, he even shared an image of himself tipping the scales at 98 kilograms, which is about 216 pounds! Still, walking around that heavy means one thing: cutting down is a brutal process. And sometimes, it can go horribly wrong.
Khamzat Chimaev’s weight cut
The most infamous example came at UFC 279. Scheduled to fight Nate Diaz at welterweight, Chimaev stepped on the scale at 178.5 pounds, 7.5 pounds over the limit.
His coach, Andreas Michael, took the blame. He said Chimaev began camp weighing over 200 pounds and didn’t have enough time to safely get down to 170. Michael admitted to stopping the cut for health reasons.
In an interview with ESPN, Michael stated, “He’s a big boy, and he needs a little time [if he’s going to] fight at 170 [pounds,] But he can make weight, of course. He just needs a little more time. We’re going to go up and down.”
Well, that never happened as UFC boss Dana White shut that prospect down after the Nate Diaz debacle. But before we get to that, let’s fast forward to UFC 308.
The weigh-ins were intense. Robert Whittaker hit 185.5 lbs. early. Chimaev, however, was the last to weigh in, barely making the 186-pound limit with only 12 minutes to spare. This likely explains why Dana White was adamant about Chimaev moving up from welterweight!
Why did Khamzat Chimaev leave the welterweight division?
As mentioned above, at UFC 279 in 2022, ‘Borz’ was scheduled to take on the legendary Nate Diaz at welterweight. But he missed the weight by a large margin. The result? Instead of Diaz, Chimaev took on Kevin Holland in a catch-weight bout contested at 180 lbs.
Missing weight was a major red flag, leading many to question whether Chimaev’s body could handle the harsh cuts to welterweight anymore. As such, UFC CEO Dana White later confirmed at a press conference in London, “Yeah, he’ll fight at middleweight.”
Now, at UFC 319, Chimaev will be taking on Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight crown, proving that moving up permanently may have been the right call. So, the “wolf”, which is the translation of his nickname in Chechen, may have left welterweight behind, but the hunt isn’t over. The prey has just gotten bigger! Will size and weight be a deciding factor this time?
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