It sounds like Khamzat Chimaev has submitted an unparalleled level of work to ensure that his cardio keeps standing behind the scenes on UFC 319.
Chimaev will enter De Kooi on Saturday evening in Chicago for his first opportunity to reach title glory in the UFC. The shot has long come for the unbeaten 'Borz', who had previously had his push to gold crashed due to health problems.
The Chechense is now only a few days away from opposite King Drus du Persis in the middleweight. Chimaev will challenge du Plessis in the main event of UFC 319 in the United Center, looking for what both Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya have not achieved.
In order to succeed, many believe that the fast-staring Chimaev has to do the job before the fatigue begins that Du Plessis has not struggled in his undefeated UFC career so far. But one UFC legend is not so certain that this is the case after he has seen what the challenger did in the camp …
Daniel Cormier has seen the intense cardio training of Khamzat Chimaev prior to UFC 319
Predictions for Du Plessis and Chimaev have largely followed the pattern of 'and still' if the fight goes beyond the first two rounds, but 'and new' when a finish arrives early.
'Borz', however, has searched to ensure that he can maintain dominance over the champion, regardless of whether the competition goes a distance that he still has to reach in MMA. And Daniel Cormier, for example, is impressed by the work he has done to make that possible.
“If Chimaev had a problem, it would be the cardio – or at least it seemed to be,” said Cormier on his good guy/bad manshow with Chael Sonen. “In the fight of Gilbert Burns it seemed that he delayed.
“Guy, I saw a video … Ladies and gentlemen, listen to me when I tell you this … In every struggle facility in the world you will find an airdyne bike … The hardest in the world to conquer because you can't conquer them. It is an opponent that you can't beat. It is the hardest in the world.
“No matter how difficult that is, I saw Khamzat Chimaev – many of whom thought they had a cardio problem – doing the Airdyne bike,” Cormier continued. “Instead of taking that unbeatable device that we have used for 30 years, coach Cal and Khamzat Chimaev decide that it is not enough resistance.
“So now Khamzat Chimaev takes that unbeatable device, boys, coach Cal (Sam Calavitta) and he has now taken resistance bands and put on the bars of the Airdyne bike to make the Airdyne bike more difficult.
“You know every great hunter, the entire Mount Rushmore … tried to beat the Airdyne bike and have not been successful.”
Dricus Du Persis claims that Khamzat Chimaev doubts himself
Du Plessis would like to reject suggestions that his way to victory in the final rounds is UFC 319. The champion, however, acknowledges the unknown when it comes to Chimaev's cardio.
While he spoke to UFC unfiltered before his third title defense, Du Plessis said that Chimaev has doubts when it comes to pushing the pace for five rounds and wondered if that could influence how 'Borz' fights.
“You know, experience plays his role. We are five rounds,” said Du Plessis. “In your head you know that you have not been able to fight at the pace you want as soon as the third round comes.
“Now you know that you have to fight that fifth round. Doing in training is completely different. Now you are in a fight, you know,” What should I do if this goes five rounds? ” So, are you going to save in the first and second energy now?
“We saw the Whittaker fight, he is not going to do that, he went at full speed again,” Du Plessis continued. “In his mind he has the doubt.
“I have no doubt because I went at full speed with Strickland in the first and second fight and won the decision. The same with Adesanya. I got the fourth round finish. I know I can go in there and push the pace for five rounds, if I have to.”