Who is UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev fighting next? Other than the UFC and Khamzat himself, no one really knew. While there’s no official word from the UFC on that front, a move to light heavyweight has long been discussed, with even Khamzat randomly tweeting “205” just yesterday. Now, the undefeated Chechen appears to have hinted at who his next opponent is.

A well-known MMA content creator, Kevin K, shared a screengrab on X earlier today, which showed a fan-made poster of UFC 327 headlined by ‘Borz’ and Jiri Prochazka on Instagram. But what was even more interesting was the fact that Khamzat Chimaev had liked the post, which suggests his next opponent could be ‘BJP.’

“Khamzat Chimaev Liked This Instagram Post 👀 #UFC327,” Kevin captioned the post alongside the image.

It’s worth noting that after Alex Pereira defeated Magomed Ankalaev last year at UFC 320, ‘Poatan’ made his intentions clear about moving to the heavyweight division to fight Jon Jones on the White House card. Meanwhile, Chimaev also revealed his intentions to move up to light heavyweight.

The undefeated middleweight champion, who defeated Dricus Du Plessis in his last outing to win the belt, called out Pereira for the fight. However, ‘Poatan’ seemed more interested in facing Jones, which ultimately might not happen because of Jones’ arthritis, causing his retirement. 

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Pereira also posted a video on Instagram with the caption reading “205,” which has further led people to believe heavyweight is the Brazilian’s destination. If he does indeed make the move, he will have to relinquish the light heavyweight strap, which will be up for grabs for ‘Borz.’

Regardless, while Chimaev vs. Prochazka remains unconfirmed by the UFC, the co-main event has been confirmed to feature a title fight between newly crowned Joshua Van and No. 3-ranked flyweight contender Tatsuro Taira. The card is also reported to feature other marquee names like Dominick Reyes and Johnny Walker, among others. 

Circling to Chimaev, though, his coach has a contradicting view of what’s next for the undefeated middleweight champion. 

Coach Alan do Nascimento reveals 3-man target for Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev’s first middleweight title defense could come down to three contenders: Nassourdine Imavov, Anthony Hernandez, and Sean Strickland, per Chimaev’s coach Alan do Nascimento. With the UFC yet to confirm the matchup, the team is closely monitoring the division’s immediate future.

“I think the UFC is waiting for the fight between ‘Fluffy’ [Hernandez] and Strickland to see what would sell more—the winner of that fight or Imavov, who is the current contender,” Nascimento said.

“All the athletes there have already proven their value. We respect and recognize that, obviously, but we have to be ready to defend the belt,” he added. “Whoever it is among those three, we’ll have to face them with maturity, seriousness, humility, and the will to win.”

Notably, Sean Strickland defeated Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston on Saturday night. However, it’s yet to be seen whether Chimaev would now defend his title against the currently No. 3-ranked ‘Tarzan.’

As things stand, who Khamzat Chimaev will fight next appears to be convoluted. While speculation suggests Jiri Prochazka may end up taking the cake, it’s ultimately up to the UFC. Who do you think Chimaev will fight next?