“If Khamzat wins, it’s a disaster.” That’s how UFC analyst Din Thomas sized up the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev dethroning Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. Big words, and they’ve sparked a bigger debate. On August 16, Chimaev will finally step into the Octagon for a shot at middleweight gold.

It’s the fight fans have been waiting for and one some still fear might never happen. From visa issues to illness scares, ‘Borz’s road to glory has been anything but smooth. But not everyone is buying into the doom-and-gloom!

Speaking on a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping pushed back hard on the claims as he stated, “Khamzat Chimaev wants to be a champion. He wants to be the first Chechen champion, and he wants to defend the belt, and he wants to be active.”

Thomas’s “disaster” label came with two main points: Chimaev’s fight frequency and his tendency to get sick. Bisping tackled both as he further shared, “Now, not fighting frequently, Khamzat came out recently and said it’s because he was struggling to get a work visa in the United States of America. Of course, the fight is going down in Chicago. Dana White, UFC president, of course, is very close friends and has a special relationship with Donald Trump. So, regardless, they’ve made that happen. So, I don’t think getting into the States is going to be an issue.”

The Chechen juggernaut’s previous two fights indeed took place in Abu Dhabi, and his last appearance on American soil came in 2022 against Kevin Holland at UFC 279. But with the visa issues now seemingly settled, that’s one fear crossed off the books.

That leaves the illness factor, a storyline that’s followed Chimaev since his COVID-19 complications in 2021, as he then briefly announced his retirement. He missed multiple fights with Leon Edwards and a high-profile Robert Whittaker matchup that was pushed back months due to sickness. More recently, even Sean Strickland publicly mocked him over it.

As such, Bisping continued in the video by stating, “One issue that he has had is getting sick. Sean Strickland was talking about that recently, calling him a little b—. Now, Khamzat Chimaev said he’s not going out. He doesn’t want to interact with people. He doesn’t want to get sick.”

In fact, during a recent conversation with ESPN MMA, ‘Borz’ shared, “I have to be ready, don’t get sick. That’s why I’m just saying to the boys, if we go to the mall, if somebody sick fan comes, maybe we get that sickness, so I have to be careful for that.”

So, is this just an overblown narrative or a real problem? The truth might land somewhere in between. But as Michael Bisping indicated, there has been progress made on all fronts that were a cause for concern. In fact, it’s not just his outside-the-cage troubles that have seemingly been addressed as Chimaev’s coach has come out with a bold take on the one weakness that has raised doubts about his chances against ‘Stillknocks’!

Khamzat Chimaev’s coach reveals “totally different” version of him ready for UFC 319

The word hanging over Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 319 is cardio. The Chechen mauler has built a reputation for blitzing opponents in Round 1, leaving little time for questions. But in the few fights that stretched longer, murmurs began: could he keep up the pace?

Those whispers have grown louder as the clash with Dricus Du Plessis grows closer, a man known for dragging his opponent into deep waters and coming out victorious. Yet, Joakim Karlsson, Chimaev’s head coach, is having none of it.

Speaking at a recent media day, Karlsson confessed, “Man, you can’t compare Khamzat, now, this time, with (the one from) one, two years ago. It’s totally different. He has a different strength and conditioning coach now. It’s a different level now. I don’t think it’s fair to compare him from one, two years ago. It’s not the same.”

Karlsson credits famed trainer Sam Calavitta for reshaping Chimaev’s physical game. But the transformation, he insists, goes deeper than just new workouts. How? According to him, “So he’s been more serious about everything. He’s taking care of nutrition, sleep, recovery and everything. He’s good.”

As such, the picture forming around Khamzat Chimaev before UFC 319 is one of change, not collapse. The “disaster” talk from Din Thomas may make for a sharp soundbite, but Michael Bisping’s counterpunch carries weight.

The visa roadblock is gone, and the illness narrative is being actively managed. Now, with his coach swearing that cardio is no longer a weak link, ‘Borz’ enters Chicago not as a question mark, but as a fighter claiming to have solved the doubts that once refused to go away!