The long-awaited moment is drawing closer every second. At UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev will step into the Octagon for the biggest fight of his career, a clash against Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight gold. It’s a showdown between two undefeated forces in the division, but one arrives with years of championship-round experience, the other without ever crossing that threshold under the UFC’s banner.
Yet, according to Chael Sonnen, ‘Borz’ and his team have made sure that the one factor that has everyone doubting the Chechen warrior’s chances against Du Plessis does not come into play! Intrigued? Let’s dive in.
During a recent conversation on the ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ show on YouTube, the UFC veteran revealed, “Now, I’ve had some real good insights to Chimaev’s training. I was able to take a camera down, Chimaev and Tsarukyan were side by side, doing strength training and martial arts training…”
For those unaware, Khamzat Chimaev has been training with lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan for this fight. The two have been regularly sharing glimpses of their intense workout sessions on social media, as well.
But Daniel Cormier, Sonnen’s co-host on the show, was taken aback as he inquired, “They let you? You made that request, they said bring it down?” The shock stems from the fact that many high-profile camps avoid having training footage recorded by outsiders before crucial matchups such as this one.
‘The Bad Guy’ confirmed that, indeed, they did. And what that camera captured wasn’t the usual mix of fight drills and sparring. Sonnen explained in the video, “And Daniel, it is cardio-based. I mean it’s true that the cardio in theory is supposed to carry over to mixed martial arts, I’m just telling you, there wasn’t a lot of mixture in their martial arts. It was work harder, harder, get your heart rate pounding, longer, faster.”
MMA: UFC 279-Chimaev vs Holland, Sep 10, 2022 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Khamzat Chimaev red gloves fights Kevin Holland blue gloves during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, 10.09.2022 20:51:15, 19026316, NPStrans, T-Mobile Arena, Holland, Kevin Holland, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexCamporealex 19026316
The so-called ‘biggest weakness’ in Chimaev’s game plan is cardio. Why? Dricus Du Plessis is durable, relentless, and has been there before. He’s gone deep into the championship rounds. He’s outlasted Sean Strickland twice. He even submitted Israel Adesanya in the fourth round of their UFC 305 bout. So, the question lingers, can ‘Borz’ match that kind of staying power when the pressure builds?
Arman Tsarukyan, who has been training alongside him, says the work is relentless yet carefully monitored. During a recent interview, the lightweight star revealed, “He works with a new strength and conditioning coach on his cardio. So I believe in this upcoming fight, his cardio must be very good. He’s been tested every day, his recovery ability.”
This level of preparation could be the key. ‘Stillknocks’ thrives on breaking opponents over time. He pushes until they fold. But if Khamzat Chimaev’s gas tank holds, the fight changes. Yet, according to a former middleweight champion, despite the preparation, it’d be hard for ‘Borz’ to switch up the game plan that has kept him undefeated so far!
Khamzat Chimaev works on his cardio even as Michael Bisping predicts he “isn’t going to change”
Michael Bisping doesn’t picture Khamzat Chimaev easing into this one. In his eyes, the Chechen juggernaut will try to blitz Dricus Du Plessis just as he did Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. Fast, ferocious, and over before the opponent knows what’s happened.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, ‘The Count’ confessed, “I love that about Khamzat. He isn’t going to change. This is the way that he fights. You can’t change it; it’s just in his DNA. The man is an absolute animal.”
It’s that aggression, Bisping says, that makes Chimaev must-watch TV. Fans tune in for the chaos. But it also leaves a question hanging over UFC 319: will that style hold against a champion built for deep waters? According to Bisping, “I understand that Khamzat is going to be a very dangerous threat early. However, you can’t be a marathon runner and a sprinter at the same time.”
He even compared Chimaev’s explosiveness to Conor McGregor, deadly early, but difficult to sustain over five rounds. And while the oddsmakers reportedly have Chimaev as a 2-to-1 favorite, Bisping called that “crazy” given the stylistic matchup.
So, the footage Chael Sonnen described suggests ‘Borz’ is working to erase the only visible crack in his armor, and Arman Tsarukyan’s words hint at a plan built on discipline and recovery. Now, the question becomes, will a change in his approach to pace benefit or hurt Khamzat Chimaev’s chances at becoming the middleweight champion at UFC 319? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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