Khamzat
Chimaev's coach Murad Bichuev claims a change of opponent led
to weight cut issues in his last fight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Chimaev (15-1) lost his middleweight title to Sean
Strickland (31-7) in a shocking upset this past May. “Borz†was
visibly drained in the second round, forced to abandon his
wrestling and fought the rest of the fight on the feet, where he
was outworked by Strickland. Chimaev's coach has now detailed why
he struggled in the bout.

Murad Bichuev says Chimaev was preparing for Jiri Prochazka
before returning to middleweight

Bichuev claims Chimaev was originally bulking up to move up to
light heavyweight to fight Jiri
Prochazka. However, the UFC allegedly then changed plans and
told Chimaev to defend his middleweight title against Strickland
instead. According to Bichuev, they had a short window to prepare
for the fight against Strickland, which led to weight-cut issues
for a bulked-up Chimaev.

“The weight cut was an issue because he was initially set to face
Procházka at 205,†Bichuev told Red Corner MMA. “So, we were mostly
focusing on his physique. He started gaining muscle. He was gaining
weight more than before. And then they said, ‘No, we're leaving
this option aside; you have to fight Strickland at 185.' That's why
we didn't have much time and we faced more problems than we
expected.â€

Chimaev was teasing a move up to light heavyweight after claiming
the middleweight belt. Following his loss against Strickland,
Dana
White said that the Chechen-born fighter was determined to move
up. However, Chimaev has since been rallying for a rematch against
Strickland, repeatedly calling out the American on social
media.

“Khamzat was gaining weight for Prochazka,
but then they said it will be Strickland”

Khamzat
Chimaev's coach, Murad Bichuev, reveals the team was originally
focused on preparing for a light heavyweight fight against Jiří
Procházka before being switched to Sean
Strickland at… pic.twitter.com/bHomveb86K

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
August 2, 2026

Dana White liked what he saw from Uros Medic on Saturday, all 30 seconds of it.

Medic took center stage for the main event of UFC Belgrade in front of the home crowd. “The Doctor†had everything going in his favor, including an opponent who had just been released from prison back in April. Still, Daniel Rodriguez has been known for being a tough out for anyone, but Medic stopped him via TKO in half a minute.

Speaking to reporters during the UFC Belgrade post-fight presser, White said it's hard to make a bigger statement than what Medic was able to achieve on fight night (via MMAJunkie).

“I don't know how you can win more impressively than you did,†White said. “The first shot pretty much knocked him out because the second one pretty much hit him on the chest, sort of a back head shot, and then some punches on the ground. He pretty much knocked him out with one punch.â€

As far as just how high Medic's stock can go, White believes the Serbian knockout artist is well on his way to becoming a big star if he continues to get quick finishes.

“First of all, he has the most first-round KOs in the division's history. He's got the longest streak of KOs in the division's history. Third longest first-round KO streak in the sport, I think. The highest knockdown rate – he's got a ton of records in knocking people out in the first round,†White said. “If he keeps coming in, and you work your way up the rankings, and fight for a world title, there's a lot things that it takes to become a superstar. He's definitely headed in the right direction.â€

Medic has called out former UFC welterweight titleholder Leon Edwards. He said if that fight doesn't come to fruition, then he'd like a worthy opponent in the 170-pound rankings. It'll be interesting to see who the UFC matchmakers believe could be a solid test for “The Doctor.â€

Is Uros Medic destined for the top of the heap in the welterweight division, or do you think his momentum will cool off with tougher opposition? Sound off in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Alex Pereira is eager to get back on the horse following his recent setback.

Pereira attempted to become a three-division champion when he fought Ciryl Gane in the UFC Freedom 250 co-headliner. The interim UFC heavyweight title was at stake, and “Poatan†relinquished the 205-pound gold in an effort to fight for the prize in a higher weight class. It didn't work out for Pereira, who was stopped in the second stanza via TKO.

Despite the loss, Pereira is sticking around at heavyweight. During a fan Q&A prior to UFC Belgrade, the surefire future UFC Hall of Famer said he's looking forward to his rebound fight (via MMAMania.com).

“Since I entered the organization, I always take one step at a time,†Pereira said. “My objective was to get to the belt, to become champion, and I was able to do that. Then I moved up a division. That was my idea, to become champion in another division. I went after the third belt. This time, this fight did not work out, but I have a lot of willpower and I am very excited for my next fight.â€

When asked whether or not he prefers to wait for reigning champion Tom Aspinall and Gane to have their expected rematch, “Poatan†made it clear that he wants to return soon.

“I do not know what will happen, and I do not know how long that fight will take,†Pereira said. “For sure I want to fight before, and after that I want to fight for the belt.â€

Pereira has been quite vocal about the officiating during his loss to Gane back in June. The former two-division titleholder has blamed Herb Dean for failing to warn “Bon Gamin†about illegal strikes to the back of the head. The Brazilian bruiser has even called for Dean to be fired as an official.

With Alex Pereira sticking around at heavyweight, who should he face next? Let us know your choice in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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