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

Arman
Tsarukyan continues to build up his resume of side quests
outside the Octagon.

Tsarukyan faced Indian fitness influencer Ankit Bainpuriya in a
submission-only grappling match at Hype FC in Armenia.

Arman Tsarukyan submits Ankit Bainpuriya by armbar at Hype FC
grappling event

It was a clear mismatch as the
Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete repeatedly slammed
Bainpuriya before making him tap to an armbar hardly two and a half
minutes into the bout.

While Bainpuriya has a massive following on social media, he has no
prior combat sports experience. However, he can occasionally be
seen training wrestling and also did a brief camp in Dagestan
before facing Tsarukyan.

Meanwhile, the top-ranked lightweight hasn't fought in the UFC
since a submission win over Dan Hooker
last November. While “Ahalkalakets†is widely considered the most
deserving UFC lightweight title contender, he is yet to get a title
shot. He recently hinted that there will be news of his next UFC
fight soon.

Tsarukyan has been active in wrestling competitions lately, mostly
at Real American Freestyle, where he recently lost to Colby
Covington in a huge upset. He's 7-1 under the RAF banner,
having previously beaten the likes of Urijah Faber
and Tony
Ferguson.

Arman
Tsarukyan just destroyed Indian fitness influencer Ankit
Baiyanpuria pic.twitter.com/jzwdUrxzLU

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch)
August 1, 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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