Khamzat Chimaev has not even made his first middleweight title defense yet, but he is already thinking about what comes after it. Ahead of his UFC 328 showdown with bitter rival Sean Strickland in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, ‘Borz’ hinted that the fight could be his last at 185 pounds.
“I hope so,” Chimaev told MMA Junkie. “I like to eat pizza. We will see.”
For a while now, Khamzat Chimaev has been eyeing the light heavyweight division like a hawk. ‘Borz’ wanted to move up right after his win over former champ Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, for an Alex Pereira superfight. But, after ‘Poatan’ moved up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, Chimaev’s active push came to a screeching halt.
However, if the Chechen wins the showdown on May 9 against Sean Strickland, the next contender will most likely be Nassourdine Imavov or the winner of the rumored bout between Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. And Imavov would remain the only top contender at middleweight Chimaev has not fought yet.
In that case, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Chimaev’s defense against Imavov would remain one of the most anticipated fights if ‘Borz’ comes out victorious in Newark this weekend. But there’s a chance that he might not accept the fight vs the French-Dagestani contender. Last year, the 185 lbs kingpin had already made it clear that he isn’t entirely thrilled about fighting Imavov because of their Chechnya-Dagestan background. That dynamic makes a divisional move more attractive if it can be arranged.
The current light heavyweight picture also favors Chimaev’s potential move. The champion Carlos Ulberg recently underwent surgery after injuring his ACL against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327, a fight in which he won the 205 lbs title.
Although Dana White said he hopes ‘Black Jag’ recovers quickly and dismissed any immediate possibility of an interim title fight, the division might still need one if Ulberg remains sidelined for the rest of the year. Chimaev acknowledged the opportunity but kept his focus where it belongs for now.
“I don’t know,” Chimaev added in the same interview. “I hope [Carlos Ulberg] gets a fast recovery. We’ll see, I don’t know. So much focus is on jumping over Strickland. He’s a tough fighter, a good fighter, but we take away all the s—t and the things that he’s saying now. So, he’s a good fighter, just to focus on him, beat this guy, and then we’ll go for the next. And then who’s there doesn’t matter.”
If Khamzat Chimaev makes the jump to light heavyweight, the UFC could set him up in a grudge match against another rival, Paulo Costa, who recently scored a statement victory over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327.
Now, with the 185 lbs kingpin plotting a move to light heavyweight, the most direct assessment of what Chimaev could bring to 205 pounds comes from someone who experienced it firsthand.
Khalil Rountree warns light-heavyweights after training with Khamzat Chimaev
A recently surfaced clip showed ‘Borz’ dropping the top light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr during a friendly sparring session. Talking about the viral clip, Rountree confessed that Khamzat showcased unmatched dominance and would pose a serious problem if he ever made an official move to the light heavyweight division.
“When I first heard the news, I was a bit bummed out, really,” Rountree told Cageside Press. “Just to know that a guy like Khamzat would come to the division, and that could be a potential matchup if that happened, doesn’t make me happy, thinking about that.
“Training with this guy, he’s the best in the world, it’s difficult. In all areas, in stand up, in grappling, no one gets an easy round with Khamzat, doesn’t matter what weight class, what size. That was my initial thought. If he made the move up, we’re all kind of screwed.”
By Rountree Jr.’s account, it seems like Khamzat Chimaev’s boogeyman status could very well carry over into the 205 lbs division. With Carlos Ulberg sidelined and contenders like Magomed Ankalaev and Paulo Costa active in the division, a move from Chimaev—if it comes after Saturday—would immediately reshape the current 205-pound landscape.
