UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping says that UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev’s walk-around weight could prevent a return to the middleweight division.
While Chimaev captured the middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 last August, he has yet to defend the belt, fueling speculation that his body can no longer safely make the middleweight limit. The rumors gained significant traction after former champion Daniel Cormier and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping reacted to leaked training footage of Chimaev sparring with heavyweights like Khalil Rountree Jr. and Luke Rockhold. Bisping pointed to Chimaev’s history of weigh-in struggles, most notably his narrow miss at UFC 308, as a sign that the 31-year-old may not be able to make middleweight. He then recalled seeing Chimaev at around 240-lbs, showing that middleweight is likely to be off the table.
“I spoke to him last week; the man’s walking around at 240lbs. He’s gotta shed some weight before he even thinks about defending that belt,” Chimaev said