Khamzat Chimaev appears to be reconsidering his planned move to light heavyweight, at least for now. After previously stating that he planned to leave the middleweight division following his brutal weight cut for UFC 328, which saw him lose his title to Sean Strickland in May, the former champion has now named four middleweights as potential opponents for his next fight.
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‘Borz’ took to X with a simple message for Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov, and Caio Borralho.
“I’m ready 🦾,” he wrote on X. “Let me know when you are ready. 🫡 Sean, Dricus, Nassourdine, Caio.”
The message represents a significant shift in direction for the 32-year-old. Khamzat Chimaev had repeatedly talked about moving up to light heavyweight even before losing his middleweight belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 328, largely because of the enormous demands of making the 185-pound limit.
The weight cut became a major concern during fight week, with Chimaev apparently needing to cut roughly 46 pounds to compete at middleweight. In fact, after ‘Tarzan’ handed him the first defeat of his professional career, the Chechen immediately informed Dana White that he wants to leave the division.
I’m ready 🦾 let me know when you are ready 🫡 Sean Dricus Nassourdine Caio
“He literally walked up to me after the fight and said, ‘I want to move up. I don’t want to fight in the weight class anymore,’” the head honcho said during the UFC 328 post-fight press conference.
However, Khamzat Chimaev’s latest message hints that the possibility of another middleweight run remains very much alive. The former champion has spent much of the aftermath of his defeat calling for an instant rematch with Strickland.
However, that idea seems less likely after the two had an unexpectedly friendly post-fight moment, with ‘Borz’ even helping wrap the championship belt around Strickland’s waist and embracing his former rival.
So now, rather than focusing only on Sean Strickland, the 32-year-old has opened the way for several other contenders, strangest of whom remains Nassourdine Imavov. After confessing his reluctance to face Imavov over the contentious Chechnya-Dagestan history for years, Chimaev now appears to have changed his stance.
Meanwhile, Nassourdine Imavov is currently pushing for the next title shot, while ‘Tarzan’ has stated that he hopes to return in December for his first defense. Du Plessis is also familiar territory for Khamzat Chimaev, having been dominated by the Russian when they fought for the middleweight championship at UFC 319 last year.
The Russian has also been active outside of the UFC. Following his loss to Strickland, he returned to freestyle wrestling and defeated Dillon Danis via technical fall in June. In fact, he is now set to face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in the main event of RAF’s debut in Moscow on Saturday at the VTB Arena.
Following that bout, Khamzat Chimaev may return to the UFC, and his most recent callout shows he is no longer committed to waiting for a light heavyweight opportunity. For now, none of the four middleweights he named is officially booked against him. But it is worth noting that one of them has already accepted the challenge.
Caio Borralho accepts Khamzat Chimaev’s challenge
Caio Borralho responded quickly after Khamzat Chimaev listed him on his list of likely opponents. The Brazilian accepted the offer and even provided two possible matchup dates: Madison Square Garden in November and T-Mobile Arena in December.
“Finally someone called my name!” Borralho wrote on X. “My brother u know I love you, and I’m ready MSG November or T Mobile December! Just let me know.”
The callout comes as Caio Borralho attempts to establish himself as a serious contender at 185 pounds. ‘The Natural’ returned to the win column in March with a victory over Reinier de Ridder, following his first UFC loss against Imavov last September.
Borralho has also just recovered from rib surgery and stated that he is nearing the end of his recovery process. So the 33-year-old plans to begin training for his next fight very soon and has stated previously that he prefers a top-10 opponent. Khamzat Chimaev would undoubtedly qualify as the best option available to him.
A fight at Madison Square Garden in November would also meet Caio Borralho’s chosen timeline, while a December bout at T-Mobile Arena would provide another large stage if he needs more recovery time.
Borralho, for ‘Borz,’ represents a formidable opponent as well as a viable path back to the middleweight title picture without immediately having to revisit his rivalry with Sean Strickland.
Khamzat Chimaev going one-on-one with ‘The Natural’ is now a legitimate possibility, since both fighters have publicly expressed interest. However, the UFC has yet to officially book the fight, while ‘Borz’ still has his upcoming wrestling bout against Woodley to get through first.