Before we dive into the storm surrounding Khamzat Chimaev, let’s first set the stage. The undefeated phenom, nicknamed Borz, is slated to headline UFC 319 on August 16 in Chicago, facing reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis for the title. Despite a bullet‑proof 8‑0 UFC record and a lethal string of stoppage wins, whispers of vulnerability have grown louder—and not due to his skills inside the cage. In addition to training concerns, Du Plessis’ coaching partner Mark Hulme has touted Dricus’ wrestling as the secret weapon that could neutralize Chimaev’s grappling edge, predicting a finish within three rounds at UFC 319

One of Chimaev’s training partners, lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, recently pulled the curtain back on the reality of this camp. According to Tsarukyan, Borz pushes himself to the brink—sometimes so far he never reaches fight night at peak performance. Speaking to Kamil Gadzhiev, Tsarukyan revealed (as per Bloody Elbow): “Khamzat’s never at 100% on fight night because he constantly overtrains. After sparring, he always goes to work the bag, lift weights, etc.” He didn’t stop there, stressing, “Khamzat needs a man beside him who controls him 24/7 and stops him so he doesn’t get overtrained. They give him more time to relax… when you’re overtrained, you can’t work properly in sparring.” 

That’s a tough pill to swallow for a fighter once hailed as arguably one of the most dangerous prospects in modern MMA. And Tsarukyan’s concerns seem to echo what’s already been said by other sharp eyes in the game. On The Believe You Me Podcast, Michael Bisping brought up TJ Dillashaw’s old coach Sam Calavitta, asking Paul Felder whether he was some legendary conditioning mind. On The Believe You Me Podcast, Michael Bisping brought up TJ Dillashaw’s old coach Sam Calavitta… and it’s worth noting that while Chimaev is known for ferocity, observers like Felder note how meticulous Calavitta’s programs blend endurance and explosive work—raising the question whether Chimaev’s camp lacks the same structure.

Felder responded: “From everything I’ve seen from when he was working with TJ…he’s very calculated with all that, but he has these guys doing a lot of cycling type stuff and sled pushes and just crazy Airdyne‑type workouts. But he mixes the long endurance stuff in with this short explosive stuff that MMA fighters need. I think he’s a crazy scientist when it comes to that kind of shit.” Bisping then chimed in with a blunt dose of reality: “At the end of the day, you know, you can be a scientist and you can break it down and all the rest of it. There ain’t no secret. The secret is hard goddamn work. Whichever way you want to do it, you got to do hard work.”

And that’s exactly where Chimaev’s reality check lies. For someone who nearly retired after severe COVID‑19 complications in 2021, only to later pull out of UFC Saudi Arabia due to being “violently ill,” as Dana White admitted to Talk Sport, the worry isn’t his grit—it’s his inability to pace himself. The risk isn’t that he won’t fight; it’s that he’ll burn himself out before fight night.

Reinier de Ridder and Sean O’Malley weigh in on Khamzat Chimaev’s title shot

Khamzat Chimaev’s rise to the top has been thrilling, but his inconsistency worries many inside the UFC. The Chechen‑born contender has pulled out of multiple fights—including the promotion’s maiden Saudi Arabia event last year—and his activity has slowed compared to his early blitz. That’s why Reinier de Ridder, who has fought four times in nine months and just defeated Robert Whittaker, doesn’t exactly want to see him crowned champion. “I think if Khamzat wins this one, especially if he wins decisively, he’ll be like a huge name. And that might come with him taking a lot of time off after,” de Ridder told MMA Fighting. Instead, he prefers a quicker turnaround: “It might be better if Dricus wins, and then we can fight in four to six months. That’d be the best, I think.”

But not everyone shares that sentiment. Sean O’Malley, the flamboyant bantamweight champion, recently revisited Du Plessis’s title defense against Israel Adesanya and wasn’t convinced by the South African’s performance. “I just watched DDP vs. Israel this morning before practice. Dude, Izzy was looking so good in that fight…DDP took over, but dude, Izzy was, for the most part, dominating,” O’Malley said on the Overdogs Podcast. With Chimaev’s dismantling of Whittaker still fresh, he added: “Khamzat, after what he did to Whittaker, the way he did it to Whittaker, it’s like, holy — yeah, I’mma go with Khamzat on that.”

With UFC 319 on the horizon, fans are buzzing—will Chimaev’s talent pave the way for a new wave of superstars, or will his inconsistent journey keep the middleweight division hanging in the balance once more?