Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 Weigh-In Draws Massive Scrutiny As Sean Strickland, Dustin Poirier, Bryce Mitchell Among Others Question Its Legitimacy
Khamzat Chimaev’s weigh-in ahead of his first UFC title defense has become the subject of intense skepticism within the MMA community.
“Borz” is set to put his middleweight title on the line against former champion Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event this weekend at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
On Friday morning, both fighters officially made the 185-pound middleweight limit during the UFC 328 weigh-ins. While Strickland made weight with ease, Khamzat Chimaev was the final athlete from the card to step onto the scale. Although he successfully hit the championship mark, the undefeated Chechen looked visibly drained and emotionally worn down throughout the entire process.
After the weigh-ins, Arman Tsarukyan disclosed that Chimaev endured an extremely difficult weight cut leading into UFC 328. According to the lightweight contender, “Borz” was forced to shed a staggering 45 pounds during fight week in order to make the middleweight limit.
Now, a massive controversy has erupted online, with many fans and fighters questioning the legitimacy of Khamzat Chimaev’s weigh-in and alleging that the New Jersey State Athletic Commission official announced “Borz” at 185 pounds while the scale still appeared to be moving.
UFC Fighters Question Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 328 Weigh-In
Controversial featherweight Bryce Mitchell was one of the first fighters to publicly question Chimaev’s UFC 328 weigh-in on social media, claiming the reigning middleweight champion never truly made the 185-pound limit. “Thug Nasty” went even further by suggesting that influential figures behind the scenes were desperate to see Sean Strickland lose and allegedly overlooked what he believed was a clear weight miss.
“I know what it looks like when somebody makes that weight,” Mitchell said. “They have to stand completely still. The little thingumabob on the scale, it has to balance. That dude didn’t make that weight. There’s no convincing me, bro… It’s all bullsh*t. Khamzat gets special treatment… he didn’t make that weight and I think Sean’s champ already.”
During the UFC 328 ceremonial weigh-ins, Strickland used his time on the microphone to fire more verbal shots at Chimaev, while also accusing his rival of never legitimately making weight for the championship bout.
“I’ll be fu*king quick, you guys: This fu*king coward tried to fu*king kick me in the nuts like a fu*king p*ssy!” Strickland said. “You’re a fu*king punch b*tch! This fu*king b*tch didn’t even make weight, you cheating fu*k! Fu*k you, you son of a whore! B*tch!”
UFC veteran Dustin Poirier also weighed in on the controversy during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show , questioning whether Khamzat Chimaev had truly made weight and pointing out that the scale still seemed to be moving when the official called out 185 pounds.
“As soon as he steps on the scale, they say 185, it didn’t even have time to balance,” Poirier said. “This is a hang scale. You have to let it balance to see if the guy is on.”
Apart from the fighters, several prominent MMA analysts and personalities, including MMA Guru and The Weasle, also voiced skepticism over Khamzat Chimaev’s weigh-in, with many claiming the scale never fully settled before the official result was announced.
