Khamzat Chimaev is known to have a relentless work ethic in the gym that’s so extreme it actually puts his health at risk, so he’s now monitored on a daily basis to ensure he’s not overdoing it.
“Khamzat’s never at 100% on fight night because he constantly overtrains,” Khamzat’s training partner Arman Tsarukyan told Kamil Gadzhiev. “After sparring he always goes to work on a bag, lift weights etc. He’s one of those guys you have to tell when it’s time to stop… He’s now being tested daily to monitor his recovery. There they have a device that shows his recovery status every day. And if he’s in a slump, they help him pull out of it. They give him more time to relax, because when you’re overtrained, you can’t work properly in sparring. We need a guy who will control [Khamzat] 24/7 and stop him at the right time so he won’t overtrain.”
When he first arrived in the UFC, Khamzat became known for his desire to fight frequently, leading to his first three wins in the Octagon taking place in the space of just three months in 2020.
However, health issues and injuries soon piled up, resulting in the now 31-year-old only having fought five times in five years, including three separate year-long absences from the Octagon.
Nevertheless, what Khamzat has been able to do consistently is continue to win, extending his unbeaten record to 14-0, and so if he can stay healthy then he will be fighting for the middleweight title against current champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 on August 16th.
