The middleweight title picture should feel electric right now, seeing that we have a fighter like Khamzat Chimaev on the throne. A dominant champion who faces a clear competitor in Nassourdine Imavov, a matchup that answers real questions. Instead, the conversation has shifted somewhere else. And that hesitation is what caught Brendan Allen’s attention.

From the outside, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nassourdine Imavov seems inevitable. From the inside, it has been complicated by cultural, religious, and regional ties that neither man seems willing to ignore. According to the number 5-ranked middleweight, the pause might have done more damage than either fighter realizes.

Brendan Allen thinks hesitation hurt both Nassourdine Imavov and ‘Borz’

Brendan Allen didn’t question whether the fight would happen. He questioned what the delay truly meant. “They’re still gonna fight each other,” he stated before pointing out the perception problem that now hangs over it. When fighters publicly hesitate, fans begin to believe the fight will lack the conviction they desire to see.

‘All In’ believes that by acknowledging their reluctance, Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov softened that edge. “In my opinion, they kind of just shot themselves in the foot,” he said. “Now people are going to be like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s not going to be a good fight because they already don’t want to fight,'” Allen told CagesidePress.

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And it matters more than it sounds. After all, title fights are sold on inevitability, in the sense that two guys are being forced towards a last-man-standing clash against each other, whether they like it or not.

The irony is that both fighters have made their stance clear. Imavov has spoken about family pressure and how fights between men from the Caucasus are viewed back home. ‘Borz’ has also expressed the same concern, calling Imavov a nice man and citing the Dagestan-Chechnya tension as something he would like to avoid.

It is worth noting that neither framed it as fear. It is the mutual respect that may cost fans the fight. However, respect does not always translate cleanly in prizefighting. According to Brendan Allen, the UFC will sort out the calendar, and the fight, most likely, will still happen.

But the two will have to pay the cost of letting the narrative drift before the cage door ever closes, as fan disinterest will surely affect the event. At the championship level, even a moment of doubt can echo louder than a win streak. The only thing Khamzat Chimaev fans will hope for now is that the same hesitation does not affect his performance in his title defense, as they, and even Dricus Du Plessis, have him winning in their books.

Dricus Du Plessis is confident in Khamzat Chimaev’s chances against Imavov

Dricus Du Plessis is unconcerned about the lingering doubts surrounding the matchup. From his perspective, reluctance, politics, and cultural weight have little effect on the outcome once the fight begins. If anything, he considers it background noise. Nassourdine Imavov may be the logical contender, but logic stops mattering in his eyes once ‘Borz’ starts imposing himself.

‘Stillknocks’ was clear about his position. “Imavov’s getting the title shot. I think that’s the only thing that should really make sense,” he said on the Fight Forecast, before cutting straight to the conclusion. “I think it’s going to be an interesting fight. I think Khamzat wins that fight for sure.”

There was no hesitancy in that assessment, just assurance from a man who has already experienced what Khamzat Chimaev brings to the cage. Part of that confidence also comes from how Du Plessis views the division as a whole. Middleweight, in his opinion, is a talented but inconsistent division.

Good wins are followed by poor performances; momentum never settles, and contenders rotate without separating themselves. ‘Borz’ stands out in that landscape. Not because he is perfect, but because he is consistent. In a division looking for stability, Dricus Du Plessis seems to believe that consistency is all that is needed to keep the belt right where it is.