"He was hanging out at a restaurant for hours"- 'Mini Khabib' reveals interesting new details about the potential reason for Khamzat Chimaev missing weight ahead of UFC 279
MMA fan 'Mini Khabib' (real name: Kylie Meade) has revealed intriguing new details about the possible reason behind Khamzat Chimaev missing weight ahead of his fight against Nate Diaz. Chimaev was scheduled to face Diaz in a five-round welterweight (170-pound) bout that'll headline UFC 279 on September 10th.
Since the fight is a non-title welterweight bout, both fighters had a one-pound allowance, which means that the highest they could weigh at the official weigh-in was 171 pounds. Diaz, for his part, successfully made weight, coming in at 171 pounds.
However, Khamzat Chimaev missed weight at the official weigh-in. 'Borz' weighed in at 178.5 pounds, which is a whopping 7.5 pounds above the limit for non-title welterweight bouts.
Taking to Instagram, Khabib Nurmagomedov superfan Kylie Meade aka 'Mini Khabib' posted a photograph of herself alongside Khamzat Chimaev.
Meade's Instagram post also comprised a statement in which she claimed that Chimaev was at a restaurant for hours, drinking sparkling water and possibly eating the night before the weigh-ins. She suggested that this might have contributed to 'Borz' missing weight. Her statement read as follows:
"Ran into Khamzat Chimaev He was hanging out at a restaurant for hours drinking sparkling water and (potentially ) eating the night before weigh ins and now Khamzat unfortunately misses weight by 8 pounds . I was worried all night about this when I saw it. I hope the fight still happens tomorrow, [K]hamzat was super nice to me and the fans but I thought it was so odd to see him not worried about water intake and possibly eating at the restaurant hours before weigh ins . #ufc279"
Khamzat Chimaev's UFC 279 debacle could cost him dearly in his quest for UFC gold
As of this writing, the UFC is yet to officially confirm which fight will headline the UFC 279 event. The consensus is that the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz matchup won't go ahead. While a win over Diaz could've catapulted Chimaev into a UFC welterweight title fight next, this debacle has seemingly taken that off the table.
Furthermore, many feel that Chimaev won't be allowed to compete at UFC 279 at all. Alternatively, it's believed that UFC welterweight fan-favorite Kevin Holland, who is set to compete in a 180-pound catchweight bout at UFC 279, could perhaps be matched up against Chimaev.
Meanwhile, Holland's UFC 279 opponent Daniel Rodriguez could be booked to face welterweight slugger Li Jingliang. Moreover, there have been calls for Jingliang's UFC 279 opponent Tony Ferguson to be booked to face Nate Diaz in the new UFC 279 headlining fight. Fans can expect additional details regarding the UFC 279 matchups to unravel within the next few hours.