Khamzat Chimaev has been backed by his coach to make welterweight despite missing the 170lb limit by 7.5lb for his last fight.
The Chechen stepped on the scale at 178.5lb for his fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 279, which was cancelled because of the huge weight miss. Chimaev went on to fight Kevin Holland in a catchweight fight at the event as Holland, who weighed a pound heavier than Chimaev, was choked out in just over two minutes.
It's not the first time Chimaev has struggled with the welterweight limit, as he needed an extra hour to cut half a pound for his fight against Li Jingliang last October. The fighter's coach Andreas Michael has revealed Chimaev weighs 196lb outside of training camp but could make welterweight if given around three months notice.