The UFC’s middleweight division may face a high-profile booking crisis ahead if its most dangerous contender walks away. And that seems to be real possibility since Khamzat Chimaev is running out of patience, and the UFC might be running out of time to keep him active.

After losing his middleweight title and unbeaten record to Sean Strickland at UFC 328, ‘Borz’ has been itching to get back in there. But with October looking increasingly unlikely and December now his preferred target, the former middleweight champion has made it clear that he won’t wait around forever. If the UFC can’t get him a fight before the year is out, he’s considering stepping away.

“If nothing happens in October or December, I’m going to take a break,” he told Adam Zubayraev.”I have a lot of injuries that need to be treated. I show up to every fight with a health issue. People know that.”

The 32-year-old has never exactly been the type to sit around and wait. He famously fought twice in just 10 days early in his career, submitting John Phillips in the second round of a middleweight bout that was Chiamev’s promotion debut, and then moving to welterweight to stop Rhys McKee with a first-round TKO.

And even after taking the middleweight title from Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, he was already talking about getting back in there. That urgency clearly hasn’t gone anywhere.

Khamzat Chimaev recently tagged UFC CEO Dana White while asking the promotion to get him a fight so he could compete again in 2026. And while a rematch with Sean Strickland is still the obvious goal, ‘Borz’ has made it clear he’d rather fight someone else than sit on the sidelines waiting for another title shot.

The problem is, finding Chimaev an opponent hasn’t been quite so easy. ‘Tarzan’ is now expected to defend his title against Nassourdine Imavov, which leaves the 32-year-old in a pretty awkward spot. ‘Borz’ initially wanted to return in October, but with that window looking increasingly unlikely, December has become the new target.

And if that comes and goes without a fight, Khamzat Chimaev sounds ready to step away for a bit. What makes his latest comments more interesting, though, is that he isn’t just talking about taking a break because he’s frustrated. He also admitted that he’s been putting off surgeries and treatment for years because he wanted to keep fighting.

“I have a lot of injuries that need to be treated,” Chimaev continued.”I get sick often. I lost half of my thyroid gland. I’ve been under anesthesia seven times, and I’ve undergone six surgeries.

“The Almighty has decreed this for me. I still have to live my life.”

The 32-year-old has talked about his health issues before, but he’s also made it pretty clear that he’d rather not keep discussing them in public. Still, those problems haven’t stopped him from competing at the highest level or from remaining one of the most dangerous guys on the UFC roster.

The loss to Sean Strickland may have taken a little shine off Khamzat Chimaev’s aura of invincibility, but it clearly hasn’t taken away his hunger. ‘Borz’ still wants that belt back, and he still wants another shot at proving the first loss doesn’t define him.

For now, though, the biggest fight might be getting healthy. December is getting closer, and with no opponent locked in, the former middleweight champion could soon have to choose between another immediate return and finally giving his body the attention it needs. But who will he want to face once he gets back?

Khamzat Chimaev hopes Sean Strickland loses his first title defense

At first, it looked like Khamzat Chimaev had no real interest in running it back with Sean Strickland. He was even talking about a possible move up to light heavyweight. But that tune changed pretty quickly after the shocking upset loss, despite ‘Tarzan’ already making it clear that ‘Borz’ would have to earn another title shot.

Now, with Strickland seemingly headed for a title defense against Nassourdine Imavov, Chimaev has weighed in on how he thinks the fight could go. And, unsurprisingly, he’s not exactly hiding which outcome he wants to see.

Imavov hasn’t exactly stumbled into this title shot. The French contender has put together an impressive run at middleweight and hasn’t lost since Strickland beat him in a short-notice light heavyweight main event. His recent form has made him a very real threat to the champion, and Khamzat Chimaev thinks the technical gap could be the deciding factor.

“It’s a tough fight,” Chimaev told Zubayraev. “I hope that since their fight a couple of years ago Imavov has improved his striking and will outstrike him.

“He’s a very tough guy. If he [Strickland] outlasts Imavov, it’s going to be tough. If Imavov is feeling good cardio-wise, technically, I think Imavov is much better than him. All fighters are better than him.”

Khamzat Chimaev may still want his revenge against Strickland, but he doesn’t seem too bothered about whether that revenge comes with the middleweight title on the line. If ‘The Sniper’ gets the job done, it would crown a new champion and could potentially give ‘Borz’ a quicker route back to the belt.

But before he starts thinking about another title fight, Khamzat Chimaev has a more immediate problem to sort out: what comes next. If neither October nor December produces a matchup, the former champion sounds ready to step away and finally deal with the injuries he’s been carrying throughout his career.