It sounds like Khamzat Chimaev has been putting in an unrivaled level of work to ensure his cardio holds up at UFC 319 behind the scenes.
Chimaev will enter the cage on Saturday night in Chicago for his first opportunity to achieve title glory in the UFC. The shot has been a long time coming for the undefeated ‘Borz’, who has previously had his push toward gold stalled by health issues.
The Chechen is now just days away from standing across from middleweight king Dricus du Plessis. Chimaev will challenge Du Plessis in UFC 319’s main event at the United Center, looking to do what both Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya failed to achieve.
To succeed, many believe the fast-starting Chimaev must get the job done before fatigue kicks in —something Du Plessis has not struggled with in his unbeaten UFC career thus far. But one UFC legend is not so sure that is the case after seeing what the challenger has been doing in camp…
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Daniel Cormier has seen Khamzat Chimaev’s intense cardio training ahead of UFC 319
Predictions for Du Plessis and Chimaev have largely followed the pattern of ‘and still’ if the fight goes beyond the opening two rounds but ‘and new’ if a finish arrives early.
‘Borz’, though, has been looking to ensure he can maintain dominance over the champ no matter if the bout goes a distance he has yet to reach in MMA. And Daniel Cormier, for one, is impressed by the work he’s been putting in to make that possible.
“If Chimaev had an issue, it would be the cardio — or at least it seemed to be,” Cormier said on his Good Guy/Bad Guy show with Chael Sonnen. “In the Gilbert Burns fight, it looked like he slowed down.
“Dude, I saw a video…ladies and gentlemen, listen to me when I tell you this…in every wrestling facility in the world, you will find an airdyne bike…the most difficult thing in the world to conquer, because you can’t conquer them. It is an opponent you can’t beat. It is the hardest thing in the world.
“As hard as that thing is, I saw Khamzat Chimaev — who many thought had a cardio issue — doing the airdyne bike,” Cormier continued. “Instead of taking that unbeatable piece of equipment that we have all used for 30 years, coach Cal and Khamzat Chimaev decide that it is not enough resistance.
“So now Khamzat Chimaev is taking that unbeatable piece of equipment, guys, coach Cal (Sam Calavitta) and him have now taken resistance bands and put them on the bars of the airdyne bike to make the airdyne bike harder.
“Every great fighter you know, the whole Mount Rushmore…has tried to beat the airdyne bike and have all been unsuccessful.”
Dricus du Plessis claims Khamzat Chimaev is doubting himself
Du Plessis has been keen to do away with suggestions his path to victory lies in the latter rounds at UFC 319. The champ does, however, acknowledge the unknown when it comes to Chimaev’s cardio.
While speaking on UFC Unfiltered ahead of his third title defense, Du Plessis said Chimaev has doubts when it comes to his ability to push the pace for five rounds and questioned whether that could influence how ‘Borz’ fights.
“You know, experience plays its role. Being there for five rounds,” Du Plessis said. “In your head, you know that you haven’t been able to fight at the pace you want to once the third round comes.
“Now you know you have to fight that fifth round. Doing it in training is completely different. Now you’re in a fight, you know, ‘What do I do if this goes five rounds?’ So, are you going to now to conserve energy in the first and second? Then you are not fighting your fight.
“We saw with the Whittaker fight, he’s not going to do that, he went out full speed once again,” Du Plessis continued. “In his mind, he has the doubt.
“I don’t have the doubt because I went full speed with Strickland in the first and second fight and won the decision. The same thing with Adesanya. I got the fourth-round finish. I know I can go in there and push the pace for five rounds, if I have to.”