Every UFC fighter spends years chasing that one defining moment—the payoff for all the blood, sweat, and sacrifice. For Khamzat Chimaev, that moment is finally here. UFC 319 marks his shot at championship glory, the chance to turn a lifelong dream into reality against Dricus Du Plessis. However, one of the biggest questions walking into the fight is the challenger’s cardio in the final rounds. Chimaev is known for his early finishes in his fights, but tends to gas out in the later rounds, which was evident during his two decision wins in his career.
But the challenger is ready to surprise everyone as he is working with renowned conditioning coach Sam Calavitta. And it seems the results are showing for everyone working alongside him. Bear Digidio recently took to his YouTube channel, JAXXON Behind The Brand, to give the fans a glimpse of the training session. He spoke to Chimaev’s manager( Sweep), and it seems, ‘Borz’ is ready to dominate the champion in their title fight. According to the manager, the 30-year-old has shown massive improvements in his cardio, and the numbers are there to back it up. He said, “Yeah. I mean, you see it every week, it just gets better and better. Coach Cal also, he’s looking at the numbers, you know, he’s saying that it’s incredible the numbers that he’s doing out.”
There’s no doubt that Chimaev has always been one of the hardest-working fighters in the division. However, learning from his past experience( health problems), he now works with experts who help him taper the intensity as and when needed. But does that mean his final few weeks leading up to the fight are just a formality? Well, former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub doesn’t quite feel so. Speaking on the same show, he made it clear that the Chechen camp only means business. Schaub said, ” If I had to describe it in one single word, it would be intense. It’s just their focus. I think maybe this is how they’ve always done camp.”
The former UFC fighter further added, “For my camp, it was serious, especially when you are like 2-3 weeks out. It was serious. But you still wanted a playful kind of vibe energy where it’s not so serious. They don’t have that. Like it’s so intense, it’s so serious.” During a recent episode of the “Overdogs Podcast”, even former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw picked Chechen fighter to win. But just a few months back, Chimaev was struggling with his health. Some fans even advised him to announce his retirement from the sport. So what changes did he make to make a comeback like he did against Robert Whittaker?
Khamzat Chimaev’s reunion with his old coach helped him return to his old form
Last September, after Saudi Arabia’s pullout, Khamzat Chimaev admitted that his old training habits were doing more harm than good. Pushing too hard without allowing his body to recover properly had taken a toll on his health. In response, he decided to bring back his original wrestling coach, Salim Noutsalkhanov, to oversee both his training and recovery process. According to Chimaev, the experience was a wake-up call—he has now learned to listen to his body and adopt a more balanced, disciplined approach. During one of his interviews, he pointed out that the way he trained affected his performance.
“They now let me rest and recover properly,” Chimaev said while speaking during a conversation with Hustle. According to the 30-year-old, he was overtraining and said, “I used to go to the gym and just train until I was done. But, then I ended up in the hospital like the last time when I was in hospital three times in a row within three weeks. Chimaev further added. “My immune system went down, I got sick. Now, I use a better approach. I work with good coaches, raised a lot of world champions … I am going to take a big step forward.” Right now, Chimaev is in peak shape, as revealed by his camp.
However, the big question is, can he keep that momentum going in his next fight? Dricus Du Plessis is, without a doubt, a completely different opponent altogether. The South African fighter has shown in the past that he can find ways to win fights despite being on the back foot. But for Chimaev, it will be a different test if the fight goes beyond the first round. So, who do you think holds the upper hand in the clash? Is it Chimaev’s relentless pressure? Or is it the determination of the champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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