For months, the UFC middleweight division has been heating up and drawing a lot of attention, but Khamzat Chimaev, freshly crowned as the 185-pound champion after dominating Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, has already set his sights higher. Not on defending his belt, but on chasing a second one. The Chechen-born star made it clear on the Badaev Podcast that he wants Alex Pereira, the newly reinstated light heavyweight king who flattened Magomed Ankalaev in the first round at UFC 320.

‘Borz’ stated, “If you ask me, of course I would love to fight for the second belt, It’s no secret, the guy who’s got the belt at 205 pounds now is a very good matchup for me, except for [if] I should get reckless standing with him.” His comments, unsurprisingly, sparked debates across the MMA world, and that’s where Reinier de Ridder steps in.

Reinier De Ridder blasts Khamzat Chimaev’s call-out of Alex Pereira despite the “cool matchup”

Ahead of his main event fight against Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver, the Dutchman sat down with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, and when asked about Chimaev’s bold callout, he didn’t hold back. “Oh well, to be honest,” De Ridder began, pausing with a wry smile, “the first thing I thought was — well, this is bullsh–.”

For De Ridder, Khamzat Chimaev’s pursuit of Pereira seemingly isn’t about skill or potential; it’s about priorities. The middleweight title is fresh, untested, and packed with hungry contenders waiting their turn. Why skip the line when there’s still work to do? And De Ridder, sitting at 4-0 in the UFC and boasting a 21-2 professional record, could be one of those next in line.

Originally slated to fight Anthony Hernandez before an injury forced the American out, De Ridder now faces Allen, a dangerous submission specialist coming off a win over Marvin Vettori at UFC 318. However, further along in the interview, ‘The Dutch Knight’ confessed, “But it’s a cool matchup. It’s a cool match up to see Khamzat, see if he can get him down and stay safe. But I don’t see it happening. Yeah I get it.”

The middleweight division has rarely looked this unpredictable. With Nassourdine Imavov handing Caio Borralho his first UFC loss, the race beneath Chimaev is heating up fast. If De Ridder wins in Vancouver, he could be next in that queue, ready to test ‘Borz’ where it matters most: at 185, not 205.

As for the champion, he insists money and opportunity dictate his next move as he confessed on the podcast mentioned above, “But whether they give me Nassourdine, de Ridder, or Hernandez, I don’t care. Just pay me some good money. I have always been like that. If you consider yourself the best, you shouldn’t care who you have to fight.” However, if the ‘Poatan’ clash does materialize, will Chimaev be able to hang with one of the deadliest knockout artists to ever step into the Octagon?

‘Poatan’ warned to stay away from Chimaev by Beneil Dariush

According to Beneil Dariush, it’s Alex Pereira who wouldn’t stand a chance!  Speaking to Helen Yee ahead of his upcoming UFC 322 showdown with Benoit Saint Denis at Madison Square Garden, the lightweight veteran didn’t mince words. He believes the matchup would be entirely one-sided as he confessed, “I’d like to see Pereira actually go fight a big fight like the Jon Jones fight or something. He’s 38, maybe considering retiring. I don’t want him to get mauled by Khamzat.”

That word, “mauled “, paints quite the picture, doesn’t it? Dariush, known for his technical mastery and calm analysis, didn’t say it for shock value. He meant it as he explained, “The way Khamzat wrestles is very different than the way Ankalaev wrestles. Ankalaev seems more like a Greco style, more body locks, he doesn’t really commit so much. Khamzat completely commits, completely turns the corner, he’s able to get on your back, he’s able to do so much more. Ankalaev doesn’t have that kind of wrestling.”

So, could ‘Borz’ really dismantle the fearsome Alex Pereira, the man who has knocked out two weight classes of champions? Dariush thinks the stylistic clash would favor Chimaev every time. As such, the debate over Khamzat Chimaev’s next move says as much about ambition as it does about timing. For Reinier de Ridder, the new middleweight champion’s callout of Alex Pereira is misplaced, a distraction from a division brimming with contenders still waiting for their shot.

For Beneil Dariush, however, the matchup is far more straightforward: if it ever happens, Pereira would be “mauled.” With the middleweight division heating up, ‘Borz’ stands at a crossroads. Will he chase history at 205, or cement his reign at 185 first? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!