Coach says to expect a better conditioned Khamzat Chimaev for UFC 319.
UFC 319: Coach Joakim Karlsson talks Khamzat Chimaev’s training
Khamzat Chimaev’s head coach Joakim Karlsson talks to reporters at UFC 319 media day ahead of his title fight vs. Dricus Du Plessis.
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Cardio. That’s the first thing critics of Khamzat Chimaev point out when looking for any flaws in the Chechen fighter.
Although he’s generally been a dominant force in the UFC, more often than not running over his opponents in Round 1, Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) has had a couple of performances where people have questioned his ability to perform deep into a fight. Ahead of his five-round UFC 319 main event against UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC), those questions have been put forward again by many in the MMA community.
However, Joakim Karlsson, Chimaev’s head coach, assures that Khamzat has evolved past those issues, and they won’t be present on Aug. 16 at United Center in Chicago.
“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.”
Apart from training with famed strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta, Karlsson has seen Chimaev step up in all areas of the game now that he’s finally fighting for UFC gold.
“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.”
