Khamzat Chimaev has made one thing clear: he’s ready to fight anytime the UFC calls. The only question, according to him, is whether the current middleweight champion Sean Strickland will do the same.

In a recent interview, the former middleweight champion stated that his focus has not shifted since losing the title to ‘Tarzan’ at UFC 328 in May. Rather than moving on to another opponent, Khamzat Chimaev claims he’s still waiting for the champion to accept a rematch.

“Nothing’s changed,” Chimaev said via translator. “We’re training, waiting for Sean Strickland to come out of his house. It doesn’t matter to me. Whenever they give me a fight, that’s when I’ll return. I am always in the gym.”

When asked if he’d be ready to compete immediately, ‘Borz’ didn’t hesitate.

“Even today,” he replied.

The comments from Khamzat Chimaev follow a familiar narrative from the Chechen star, who has repeatedly accused Sean Strickland of ducking a second meeting. After losing the middleweight title in a dramatic upset at UFC 328, ‘Borz’ briefly considered leaving the division as a result of the brutal weight cut he had to endure in May. But he instantly switched course, demanding an immediate rematch.

Ever since, he has only doubled down on that stance in recent weeks, claiming he’s been messaging UFC executive Hunter Campbell to secure the fight while insisting ‘Tarzan’ is “running away.”

“Yes. I’m just waiting for the guy [Strickland] to accept the fight,” he told FOX News Radio’s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show.’ So I’m ready for tomorrow as well.

“So, I’m writing to Hunter [Campbell]. And then I’m like, ‘Give me a fight next day.’ The guy is running away. I’m trying to catch him.”

However, the champion sees things differently. Following his title win, Sean Strickland rejected the idea of an immediate rematch, claiming that ‘Borz’ should earn another shot by winning a few fights first.

“No. Again, as always, you go get a couple W’s, and I’ll see you again,” Strickland had said. “That’s just how it works. I truly believe rankings systems matter in the UFC.”

Complicating matters further, the champion is now recuperating from a shoulder injury sustained even before the title fight. Although surgery is no longer expected and he is already back in the gym, ‘Tarzan’ has stated that he hopes to return in December as he continues to recover.

Even if Sean Strickland returns by the end of the year, another top contender believes Khamzat Chimaev will definitely not be the one to face the champion.

Nassourdine Imavov claims Khamzat Chimaev’s spot to face the returning champion

Nassourdine Imavov recently revealed that he has already begun preparing for a title bout against ‘Tarzan,’ claiming that the UFC has already offered him the next shot at the middleweight title.

“Of course, next fight is a belt,” Imavov told Jaiden Cable. “Before the fight, Strickland versus Khamzat, I wanted to fight Dricus to stay active, and UFC told me I could only fight [for the] belt. After this fight, Khamzat versus Strickland, hundred percent.”

While ‘Tarzan’ has publicly stated that he plans to return in December, ‘The Sniper’ believes the UFC may push the champion to compete sooner, potentially setting up the title fight in October or November.

The French contender also has extra motivation should the matchup materialize. Sean Strickland defeated Nassourdine Imavov over five rounds in a short-notice light heavyweight bout in January 2023 after Kelvin Gastelum withdrew from the main event due to a severe mouth injury just days before the fight, and ‘Tarzan’ stepped in.

Fast forward three years, and ‘The Sniper’ has confirmed that he still hasn’t forgotten the loss.

“He’s not a good person. He talks shit every day, and it’s very personal now,” Imavov stated.

With Khamzat Chimaev actively seeking another shot, Sean Strickland recovering from injury, and Nassourdine Imavov saying he’s next in line, surely the UFC’s middleweight title picture has suddenly emerged as one of the promotion’s most intriguing storylines of the year.