The cardio coach of Khamzat Chimaev has heard the concerns from those who question his fighter’s gas tank.
If there’s one weakness to Chimaev’s game that fans, experts, and fighters point out, it’s his cardio. It’s a big question mark going into UFC 319, as “Borz” has never had to go to the championship rounds. While that might still be the case once the next middleweight title fight has concluded, many pundits are expecting a close fight that will likely be pushed to at least the fourth round.
If middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis forces Chimaev to push the pace for all five rounds, Joakim Karlsson is confident that the challenger will push through without issue. The cardio coach explained to reporters why he isn’t concerned (via MMAJunkie).
“Man, you can’t compare Khamzat, now, this time, with (the one from) one, two years ago,” Karlsson said at a media day. “It’s totally different. He has a different strength and conditioning coach now. It’s a different level now. I don’t think it’s fair to compare him from one, two years ago. It’s not the same.”
Karlsson also mentioned Khamzat Chimaev taking a different approach to training now that he is expected to perform at a championship level.
“He’s just taking training more serious now,” Karlsson explained. “He has good dedication to what he does because now it’s serious stuff, it’s coming up to a championship fight. So he’s been more serious about everything. He’s taking care of nutrition, sleep, recovery and everything. He’s good.”
Many are hoping that Karlsson’s words are more than just biased optimism. If Chimaev’s cardio can stay up to task for all five rounds, then fans might be in for a barn burner to cap off UFC 319 on Aug. 16. BJPenn.com will have you covered on fight night with live results, so be sure to check back in on our homepage.
