Khamzat Chimaev is feeling something few imagined he ever would—the frustration of defeat and the hunger for revenge. The 32-year-old suffered the first loss of his career on Saturday, when he faced Sean Strickland in his first middleweight title defense. Despite entering the fight as the clear favorite, the night unraveled in a way almost nobody expected.

In a brutal, back-and-forth war, Strickland’s relentless jab, higher striking volume, and disciplined takedown defense proved to be the difference. And after the fight, something happened that seemed impossible. The pair settled their differences. But now that the dust has settled, Chimaev has only one thing on his mind—a rematch to reclaim what he lost.

“Let me know when you are ready [Sean Strickland],” Chimaev wrote on X.

Considering how close the fight was, a rematch isn’t out of the realm of possibility. However, when that may happen remains to be seen. Not to mention, UFC CEO Dana White has told reporters that Strickland plans to move to light heavyweight after his latest win. The weight cut this time around for ‘Tarzan’ appeared to be difficult, so he could go to 205 pounds.

Chimaev has previously claimed that he wants to move to light heavyweight, so they end up meeting at the higher weight class. However, Khamzat Chimaev often has long bouts of inactivity between his fights, which makes their rematch a distant affair. In the meantime, contenders like Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen are also vying for a title shot. 

Right after becoming a two-time middleweight champion, Sean Strickland knew who he wanted next. ‘Tarzan’ made it clear that rankings should decide title shots, not popularity or hype.

“I truly believe in UFC rankings,” Strickland told reporters. “I think they f—king matter. I hate when guys jump it. So if that’s who the UFC [want]. If that’s the rankings. That’s who it is. Let’s go.”

In any case, when fans discovered Chimaev’s plea for a rematch, they weren’t kind. 

Fans deny Khamzat Chimaev a rematch against Sean Strickland

Since the tweet, people have started mocking the former champion. One user posted: “He was ready last night, apparently you weren’t.” Chimaev’s usual dominance on the ground was surprisingly absent. 

Another felt Khamzat Chimaev had suffered memory loss. “Dude got hit so hard he doesn’t realize the fight already happened,” commented the user. Chimaev previously tweeted, “See you again soon,” right after his loss. 

Even the next user pointed toward memory loss. “Seems your head hasn’t recovered from the punches you received, bro,” the user wrote. But asking for a rematch isn’t that uncommon. 

Someone else decided to remind Chimaev that he lost. “Dude, you lost… ready for what? That was last night,” the fan noted. But UFC might favor a more entertaining fighter with the belt—there’s a possibility Chimaev may have to wait much longer. 

The next user was against a rematch at all costs. “To do what exactly? Bear Hug all match?” the user asked. If the rematch happens, Khamzat Chimaev will look to focus on his wrestling more and try to win the fight on the ground.

That being said, Khamzat Chimaev has fallen victim to the middleweight curse, where most champions on a nine-fight win streak have lost their next fight. But can Chimaev bounce back? Will he get a rematch?