Khamzat Chimaev wants his UFC middleweight championship back and is willing to wait on the sidelines to get it.
It’s been nearly six months since Chimaev suffered a crushing loss at the hands of Sean Strickland at UFC 328, but the wound is still fresh. That’s because Chimaev had to handle Strickland in a dominant fashion and start a title reign at 185 pounds that we haven’t seen since Israel’s Adesanja. Unfortunately for Chimaev, Strickland stifled his grappling efforts and eventually won a decision to walk away with the undisputed UFC middleweight crown.
Until then, all Chimaev can do is lobby for another shot at the UFC 185-pound title, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. The middleweight contender is willing to wait to fight the winner of Strickland and Imavov, no matter how long it takes. It wouldn’t be a huge stretch for Chimaev into next year considering he hasn’t fought twice in one year since 2022.
“I should fight the winner (Strickland vs. Imavov) because I’m the #1 contender,” Chimaev said in a recent interview. MMA Junkie. “I didn’t lose this match. I’m the real champion.”