Exclusive Feature: Behind the Scenes of Khamzat Chimaev’s Fight Camp

Khamzat Chimaev training camp. Photo: Johnathon Michael

In less than two months, the UFC middleweight division will take center stage as undefeated star Khamzat Chimaev steps up to challenge reigning champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. In this exclusive feature, we dive into the intense preparation of Team Khamzat on their path toward championship glory.

August 16 is the most important date yet in Khamzat Chimaev’s successful career as he is set to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship – a highly anticipated title clash that could define the future of both the division and Chimaev’s career.

In this feature, Frontkick.online sits down with Johnathon Michael, a long-time part of Chimaev’s management, to give you a exclusive look behind the grind of Team Khamzat.

Michael has been with Khamzat since the start of his UFC career and works closely with him on a daily basis. Together, they also run Wolfpack Management, a management company representing fighters competing in organizations like PFL, UAE Warriors, and AFN.

It’s safe to say that Michael knows Chimaev better than most.

”The thing with Khamzat is that he doesn’t need to know who he’s fighting. He doesn’t care about that. He knows what he will do – no matter who he faces, Michael tells Frontkick. ”His wrestling is so much better than everyone else’s. People say that wrestling can be boring over five rounds, but when someone comes in and does what he does in just seconds – that’s not something just anyone can do. Khamzat doesn’t care where he fights or who he’s facing. He just wants to know where the fight is, how much money he’ll make, and that he’ll get the belt. Those are the three things he wants to know.”

What have you heard him say about DDP?

”DDP has an unorthodox style. He is the ‘best worst fighter’ as someone put it. He’s good everywhere and has a weird style that’s hard to control and time. But to put it simply – Khamzat doesn’t see anything special in him. He’s going to do what he always does.”

How do you think Khamzat will react going into the title fight?

”I think Dricus will try to get under his skin but I don’t really know if that’s a good or bad thing, to be honest,” Michael laughs. ”I think it’s going to be a bit back and forth. Dricus likes to trash talk and will try to mess with him. The whole fight-week will probably be a bit tense – not a full-blown fight or anything, but definitely some back-and-forth trash talk.”

Johnathon Michael and Khamzat Chimaev. Photo via Instagram (@jm_sweep)

”We’re always well-prepared”

Dricus du Plessis is known for his relentless pace and cardio but Khamzat Chimaev will leave nothing to chance ahead of the fight in August. The undefeated challenger has spent weeks in the mountains close to Georgia to train on high altitude to be in the best possible shape for the title bout.

”They go up to the highest peak for a few weeks to acclimate. Then, when they feel ready, they move a bit lower to another mountain,” Michael says. ”Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have held training camps there too – so has the Russian national wrestling team.”

In early July, Team Khamzat will relocate to the United States to set up shop in California in preperations for the title fight.

”We have a good team, a couple of people coming with us and some that we’ll meet there. One of them is an American Olympic wrestler named Pat Downey. We brought him in for the last camp as well. On the West Coast we know gyms and training partners. We have good contacts there. So we’ll be there for about three weeks, and then around ten days in Chicago because of media obligations and so on. We’re always well-prepared.”

Michael pauses a moment to find the right words.

”When you’re at this level, as a superstar, it’s not as simple as people think. More money, more problems, basically. You need a good team behind you, people who are skilled and do their jobs. Khamzat realized this early in his career – that he needs the right people in the right places. He should just train and fight. Everything else, the team should handle to make his life easier. If he says, ‘I want to go to L.A. four weeks before the fight,’ then I make it happen. He’s his own boss, really, and he wants certain people working with him. He makes the decisions, and we just make it work.”

Khamzat Chimaev training camp. Photo via Instagram (@khamzat_chimaev)

”You can’t prepare for Khamzat”

One of the hardest things about preparing for a fighter of Khamzat’s caliber is that it’s almost impossible to find a training partner who can replicate his pace and pressure. Everyone who has faced him has witnessed the sheer pressure and strength the 31-year-old possesses.

”No one has ever trained with someone like Khamzat – neither the way he strikes nor the way he wrestles. I’m not saying he has the best striking in the world, but the way he trains, the way he hits and wrestles – no one applies that kind of pressure or has that ’I’m going to kill you’ mentality. You can’t prepare for Khamzat. There’s no one else in the world who can do what he does. It was the same with Khabib – they’re so good that there’s not even a number two. Maybe there’s a number ten or fifteen.”

”Khabib had his style, and Khamzat is a bit more aggressive and submission-focused – he attacks more than Khabib. Opponents don’t really know who they’re facing until they’re in the cage. You can see it during sparring when people come to train. Some come in trying to win rounds against Khamzat, but after just a few seconds, you can see in their eyes – they’re no longer there. Ninety percent break immediately.”

A lot of experts and fighters are still picking Dricus to win the fight. Why is that?

”It was the same thing against Whittaker. Not a single fighter, except Ilia Topuria, believed Khamzat would win. That’s how it is with all his fights. After the Gilbert Burns fight, people realized he’s human too. And against Kamaru Usman, people complained that he gassed out. But try holding down an Olympic-level wrestler for three rounds – who wouldn’t get tired? I just laugh when I hear stuff like that.”

According to Michal, the undefeated fighter’s mentality is just as much of an asset as his wrestling, relentless pace, and physical strength.

”To be that kind of athlete – like Michael Jordan or Wayne Gretzky was too – you have to have that mentality. Losing just isn’t an option. Even if you’re down 100-0, you somehow believe you’re still going to win. It’s cool to see. He’s under so much pressure, but he stays calm – like a Terminator. I mean, how many times has he fought with serious injuries? He was completely messed up before the Kamaru Usman fight. Probably his worst camp ever. He had major issues with his knuckles. The middle one was basically twisted. I’ve got it on video. It was insane. Three or four weeks before the fight, he couldn’t even make a fist.”

Khamzat Chimaev training camp. Photo via Instagram (@khamzat_chimaev)

”I think DDP was got caught off guard”

Johnathon Michael claims that the original plan was for Chimaev to fight on June 28 at UFC 317 during International Fight Week. The team began preparing for the bout as soon as he defeated Whittaker last October – but du Plessis put those plans on hold.

”Khamzat took about a month and a half off, then started training again – not intensely, just enough to stay in shape in case something came up over the summer. So he was ready just a few weeks after the fight against Whittaker. He spent quite a while preparing in the mountains, but then we found out that DDP declined the date.”

Do you know why Dricus did that?

”I suspect he didn’t know that Khamzat got his visa and had a fight in the U.S. in mind. I think DDP was thinking October in Abu Dhabi. So I believe he was just, you know, having some beers, taking it easy, planning to have the summer off – and then he suddenly got the call and was like, ’What?!’ That’s what I think. People say he was injured, but I don’t believe that. I think he just got caught off guard.”

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