Khamzat Chimaev Will Face Winner of Rumored Strickland-Imavov Title Fight
Khamzat Chimaev is not standing in the way of a rumored December title fight between UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov. The former champion made it clear he is prepared to meet whoever comes out of that bout, a stance that opens the 185-pound division instead of freezing it around an immediate rematch.
Chimaev addressed the reports in an interview with Ushatayka after the matchup began circulating this week. He did not treat the idea as a slight.
“There’s no surprise. How long has Imavov been waiting now? He’s already the contender. Whoever wins, we’ll take him.”
That answer lands four months after Strickland took the belt from Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark. The five-round fight was Chimaev’s first professional loss and made Strickland a two-time UFC middleweight champion.
Strickland (31-7) has not defended the title since. A shoulder injury suffered shortly before UFC 328 has kept him out of the cage, though he has said he wants to return before the year ends.
The UFC has not announced Strickland vs. Imavov. Multiple reports this week have still pointed to a December defense rather than a straight rematch with Chimaev.
Imavov (17-4, 1 NC) last fought on Sept. 6, 2025, when he beat Caio Borralho by unanimous decision in Paris. That victory stretched a five-fight winning streak that also includes wins over Israel Adesanya, Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier, and Roman Dolidze.
His last defeat was a January 2023 unanimous decision loss to Strickland in a short-notice light heavyweight main event. A December title fight would be his first UFC championship opportunity and a middleweight rematch nearly four years in the making.
Chimaev’s “already the contender” line is his own read of the division. Official rankings released in late August still list Chimaev at No. 1, former champion Dricus du Plessis at No. 2, and Imavov at No. 3.
That ranking order makes the reaction more notable, not less. The No. 1 contender is publicly fine with the champion skipping him for a title defense, provided he gets the winner afterward.
His stance has already changed more than once since May. In the hours after UFC 328, UFC CEO Dana White said Chimaev told him he wanted to leave middleweight.
Chimaev’s team then said he was obsessed with an immediate rematch and would accept no other fight. By the end of summer he was still at 185 pounds and naming Strickland, du Plessis, Imavov, and Borralho as men he was ready to face.
The wider list gives the UFC options if December belongs to Strickland and Imavov. Chimaev can return against another ranked middleweight without waiting on the champion’s shoulder to finish healing.
Borralho has already offered November at Madison Square Garden or December at T-Mobile Arena. Chimaev responded to that callout, which keeps a high-level fight in play even if the title goes in a different direction.
Imavov has been in this holding pattern before. A bout with Chimaev was discussed for December 2025 and then February 2026 before injury ended those plans, and Imavov later said the UFC told him he would fight for the belt after Strickland won at UFC 328.
None of those dates became official. A year of inactivity followed, which is the wait Chimaev was pointing to when he called Imavov the contender.
For Strickland, the rumored defense would be the first of his second title reign. It would also mean beating Imavov at 185 after already beating him at 205, and it would push Chimaev’s do-over down the line.
Chimaev (15-1) is not asking the UFC to hold the title for him. He wants the winner, and he wants to stay busy at middleweight until then.
His next appearance is already booked outside the UFC. He meets former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a wrestling match at RAF Moscow on Saturday in Russia.
After that, the Octagon calendar is the real question. If Strickland vs. Imavov is confirmed for December, Chimaev has already said he will take the man who leaves with the belt.
If the rumor never becomes a fight, he still has ranked options waiting. Either way, the former champion has stopped treating the rematch as the only fight that matters.