Ex-UFC referee offers eye-opening take on Khamzat Chimaev's questionable cardio: "It's affected him in a way that it hasn't affected everyone"

A former UFC referee has shared his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev's cardio. The individual asserted that the COVID pandemic took a hit on 'Borz's' cardio, which has been depleted to a major extent.

Chimaev is widely known for his dominant nature inside the octagon, going at his opponents with full force from the opening bell. However, it has been spotted that his cardio takes a toll as the fight progresses to the final rounds.

In a recent appearance on the WEIGHING IN podcast, legendary MMA referee John McCarthy expressed his thoughts on Chimaev's next octagon outing, which could be a potential title fight with Dricus du Plessis, who is known for his tenacity inside the cage.

McCarthy expressed concern about Chimaev's capacity to fight du Plessis for all five rounds, claiming that cardio would be a significant factor in this possible bout. He said:

''I've seen him, he never went past the second round but I've seen him in the third round in the UFC and it's not his fault but whatever happened to him with COVID...it affected him greatly...he's had issues with his ability to maintain a cardiovascular base, he tends to just burn out...he's having a problem with the recovery, he's not recovering the way he used to and I don't blame him.''

McCarthy continued:

''It's something that physically has happened to his body from the disease where it's affected him in a way that hasn't affected everyone.''

Check out John McCarthy's comments below (1:06:04):

McCarthy's remarks can be explained by Chimaev's bout with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in 2023, which ended in a majority decision win for the undefeated contender. Notably, Chimaev appeared worn out in the final stages of the three-round fight, but he managed to secure a victory, prompting discussions among the MMA community.

Over the past, Chimaev had multiple failed matchups due to COVID and various health issues.

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Surging middleweight contender wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev for interim title following reports of Dricus du Plessis' injury

Veteran reporter Kevin Iole recently reported that Khamzat Chimaev was expected to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 317. However, that might not happen as du Plessis is allegedly injured.

In response to the news, no. 6 ranked middleweight contender Caio Borralho took to X and voiced his wish to take on 'Borz' for the interim belt. He wrote:

''Khamzat said yes! The only thing that makes sense is the Interim belt! This fight is gonna be bigger than him vs Dricus! Mark my words''