Khamzat Chimaev isn’t interested in spending much time on the sidelines. Nearly four months after suffering the first defeat of his professional career and losing the UFC middleweight championship to Sean Strickland, Chimaev is already pushing for another opportunity inside the Octagon and he isn’t limiting his options to an immediate title rematch.
Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) took to social media Monday and named four potential opponents for his return: Strickland, former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.
The message makes one thing clear: Chimaev wants to get back into the UFC middleweight title picture as quickly as possible.
Chimaev entered UFC 328 in May with an undefeated record and the middleweight championship around his waist, but Strickland pulled off the upset in the main event, earning a split-decision victory and becoming UFC champion for the second time.
It marked unfamiliar territory for Chimaev. The 32-year-old had steamrolled through much of his competition since arriving in the UFC, building his reputation as one of the promotion’s most dominant grapplers while eventually climbing all the way to the middleweight championship.
Now, rather than waiting exclusively for Strickland, Chimaev appears willing to fight another elite contender to earn his way back to the belt. His first order of business, however, will come outside the UFC.
Chimaev is scheduled to face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a Real American Freestyle match on Sept. 5 in Moscow. The wrestling match will give Chimaev an opportunity to compete again before turning his full attention toward his UFC return.
Four Names on Chimaev’s Radar
A rematch with Strickland would obviously carry the most significance. Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) handed Chimaev the only defeat of his career at UFC 328, and another meeting would give Chimaev an immediate opportunity to reclaim the championship.
Strickland hasn’t completely dismissed the possibility of running it back, but the champion has indicated that he is targeting December for his first title defense.
Chimaev also mentioned Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC), which would represent another rematch.Chimaev has already defeated the former champion, so another meeting could give Du Plessis an opportunity for revenge while allowing Chimaev to prove he remains one of the division’s elite fighters.
Then there are Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Borralho (18-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC), two contenders who could provide Chimaev with a fresh matchup.
Imavov may be the most complicated option because he is pushing for the next championship opportunity against Strickland. With Strickland targeting December, the UFC could elect to give Imavov his shot rather than immediately booking Strickland-Chimaev II. That scenario could leave Chimaev facing Du Plessis or Borralho in a title eliminator.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
