After defeating Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch, Alex Pereira made his intentions clear. On the mic, ‘Poatan’ called out Jon Jones in pursuit of a legacy-defining showdown. Since then, several hiccups have stalled the matchup. Even so, the two-time light heavyweight champion continued to call out ‘Bones’ in chilling fashion. The Brazilian powerhouse uploaded a bold image of himself holding a hammer next to a tire with Jones’ name written on it. Well, Jones responded with the same intensity, making it clear he was not afraid. Still, just as the dream clash began to gain traction, Khamzat Chimaev’s entry suddenly put the fight at risk.

As the ‘Poatan’ vs ‘Bones’ matchup started heating up again, ‘Borz’ shifted focus and called out Alex Pereira for a future showdown. Through a series of posts on X, the middleweight contender repeatedly poked the reigning 205 lbs kingpin while pushing to secure the fight, possibly at the rumored UFC White House event. 

Khamzat Chimaev calls out Alex Pereira again as Jon Jones fight faces uncertainty

“BORZ 15 W Cama (chama) 13 W, and 3 losses. Only this is the difference between us 😂😂😂,” ‘Borz’ posted on X, pointing out the gap between his record and Alex Pereira’s winning numbers. But that was not all.

In a follow-up post on X, Chimaev shared Alex Pereira’s brutal knockout of Israel Adesanya at UFC 287, while also posting Jiri Prochazka’s submission of ‘Poatan’s coach, Glover Teixeira, at UFC 275. For those unversed, the 185 lbs contender took a shot at the Brazilian camp after clashing with the former 205-pound champion, who once threatened Chimaev over a hotel lobby altercation. That moment added fuel to an already tense situation. Now, did the animosity stop here? Not quite! 

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“If you show respect, I show back respect, cama team talk too much, that’s why no respect anymore,” Khamzat Chimaev later posted on X, pushing the rivalry even further.

As the Chechen-Emirati continues to stir things up with Pereira, the timing feels interesting. With the UFC 324 buzz still in the air, Dana White has only recently started discussing matchmaking around the projected White House event. By picking the perfect timing, Chimaev started taking shots at ‘Poatan’, which could force the promotion to think about this possible showdown. If that happens, Jon Jones’ potential fight with ‘Poatan’ could take a hit, even though the heavyweight matchup has gained real hype.

Moreover, neither Chimaev nor Pereira has an opponent booked right now, which keeps the door open for a future superfight. While ‘Borz’ pushes for a White House showdown in pursuit of a second belt, another bitter rival is also lining up to challenge him in his current weight class. 

Sean Strickland’s coach is confident about facing ‘Borz’

Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev have been on a collision course for years. Their animosity stems from a shared training session at Xtreme Couture years ago, and the tension from that time is clearly visible even now. Still, both middleweight fighters have never faced each other, despite the strong storyline surrounding them. Many fans believed ‘Borz’ would dominate ‘Tarzan’ because of the clear gap in wrestling skills. However, the former champion’s head coach does not see it that way.

“I do in the regard of just knowing how good Sean’s wrestling is. Everyone in here knows how good Sean can wrestle and his ground game. Unfortunately, we don’t see it as much as we’d like in a fight. … I think there’s a lot of backstory there with Chimaev being out here and training with us,” Erick Nicksick told MMA Junkie.

Strickland is currently scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez in the Houston Fight Night main event. That bout could also play a role in shaping Chimaev’s next move, with Nassourdine Imavov also in the mix. With several possibilities surrounding the middleweight title picture, ‘Borz’ could realistically end up sharing the Octagon with ‘Tarzan’ in his next outing, and we might find out whether Strickland can hang with the middleweight champ on the mat. 

So what should Khamzat Chimaev do next? Does a showdown against Alex Pereira feel realistic, or should the Chechen-Emirati clear out the competition in his own division first? Let us know in the comments section below.