Khamzat Chimaev is back in the gym, sharpening his hands and getting back to his wrestling roots. ‘Borz’ has shared new training footage today showing him working on his boxing before returning to the wrestling mats. While the former UFC middleweight champion continues to train, fans remain divided over his prospects following his title loss.

The 32-year-old has been pushing hard for an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland after losing his middleweight crown earlier this year. There’s just one problem: ‘Tarzan’ has other plans! The American has confirmed he wants to face Nassourdine Imavov next, leaving Khamzat Chimaev stuck waiting for his next shot at redemption inside the Octagon.

Strickland isn’t just holding out for a rematch with ‘Borz’; he’s also locked in a money dispute with the UFC. The middleweight champion reportedly wants a better deal before stepping back into the cage and has even floated the idea of switching to boxing if things don’t get sorted.

With ‘Tarzan’ refusing to budge, Nassourdine Imavov has reportedly thrown $500,000 his way to get their fight done, with January being eyed for the potential middleweight title clash. ‘Borz’ doubled the offer, putting a whopping $1 million on the table to lure Sean Strickland into a rematch. So far, though, he’s been met with silence.

Chimaev’s $1 million offer for a Strickland rematch underlines how badly he wants another shot at the former champion. With no agreement in place, however, his next UFC opponent remains uncertain.

Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling commitments will keep him active while his next UFC appearance remains up in the air. His upcoming RAF matchups offer another opportunity to compete outside MMA.

Real American Freestyle has announced that former UFC welterweight champ Robbie Lawler will make his RAF debut against Khamzat Chimaev in a catchweight wrestling bout at RAF 14 next month. That’s another big name for ‘Borz’ to test himself against—just not under MMA rules.

Beyond his RAF debut against Robbie Lawler, Chimaev is scheduled to face Colby Covington for the RAF Crossover title at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14. He has also gone 3-0 in RAF appearances since his last UFC fight against Sean Strickland, keeping him active in competition while his UFC future remains uncertain.

His latest training footage shows he’s still putting in the work on both his boxing and wrestling, but the biggest question remains unanswered: When is Khamzat Chimaev finally stepping back into the Octagon? The 32-year-old is staying busy, but reclaiming UFC gold is a whole different challenge. In fact, fans don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Fight fans go off on Khamzat Chimaev’s training footage

Khamzat Chimaev’s latest training clips prompted plenty of criticism from fans who questioned his activity level and whether he could return to the form that made him one of the UFC’s most feared fighters.

One fan offered a blunt assessment of the former champion’s situation, writing, “Just retire dude.”

Another questioned how frequently ‘Borz’ competes and connected his activity level to his title loss, commenting, “He really only fights once a year. No wonder Dana White wanted the belt off him.”

Others looked at the change in perception for Khamzat Chimaev after his loss. One viewer wrote: “He has 0 aura now legit it’s crazy”

Another wrote something similar: “Lost all aura after losing.”

Some fans also mocked the 32-year-old’s wrestling style, pointing out that his training wouldn’t guarantee him success against the best. One person joked, “Training to pull guard in round 2.”

Another predicted that he could struggle in his next appearance, writing, “He’s about to get ragdolled.”

Chimaev’s conditioning was also a talking point, with one fan asking if he could maintain his pace for the duration of a 5-round fight. “All this to gas out in round 2 lmao,” the viewer wrote.

Another was equally pessimistic about a potential rematch with Strickland, commenting, “Yup, Strickland’s sleeping him again.”

Despite the criticism, some fans still believe that Khamzat Chimaev can recover, and reestablish himself as a major threat. They have reasons to be optimistic about his return with his continued training and his wrestling appearances that will be happening soon enough.

One fan expressed confidence in the Chechen fighter’s comeback, writing, “Bros coming back to kill everyone.”

Another welcomed the prospect of seeing him compete again, commenting, “Finally, we’re going to see the Wolf return!”

The fan reaction makes one thing clear: Khamzat Chimaev’s loss to ‘Tarzan’ has changed the conversation around him. After all, he was the against Sean Strickland entering their middleweight title fight at UFC 328.

And Khamzat Chimaev’s loss came down to one major issue: he burned through too much energy too early. After an explosive first round where he dominated physically, his pace dropped significantly in the second.

As his cardio faded, so did his wrestling pressure. Instead of consistently forcing takedowns and controlling the fight on the ground, ‘Borz’ began spending more time in striking exchanges, where he was far less effective.

So, as expected, Sean Strickland took full advantage. He stayed composed, maintained distance, and landed his jab consistently throughout the fight, leading to a split decision (48–47, 48–47, 47–48).

With the 32-year-old looking like just another fighter against ‘Tarzan,’ some believe the aura is gone, while others reckon he’s still got plenty left in the tank. His upcoming wrestling appearances will keep him busy, but the real test comes when he finally returns to the UFC.