‘I’m The Real Champion’

Khamzat Chimaev wants his UFC middleweight championship back and he’s willing to wait on the sidelines to get it.

It’s been nearly six months since Chimaev suffered a massive upset loss at the hands of Sean Strickland at UFC 328, but the wound is still fresh. That’s because Chimaev was expected to handle Strickland in dominant fashion and start a 185-pound title reign that we haven’t seen since Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately for Chimaev, Strickland stifled his grappling efforts and ended up winning a decision to walk away with the undisputed UFC middleweight crown.

Chimaev, who has been staying busy under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner, is steadfast on getting his title back and revenge on Strickland. The previously undefeated champion even stated that he’d follow Strickland all the way up to heavyweight in order to get a rematch. Some believe Chimaev had a bad training camp and weight cut for the first fight and that he’d right that wrong in another matchup with Strickland. The only problem is that Chimaev isn’t directly in line for another title shot. That belongs to red-hot contender Nassourdine Imavov, who is expected to fight Strickland in early 2027 if all things play out.

Until then, Chimaev can only lobby for another shot at UFC’s 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 heading into next year considering he hasn’t fought twice in one year since 2022.

“I should fight the winner [of Strickland vs Imavov] because I’m the #1 contender,” said Chimaev in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. “I didn’t lose that match. I’m the real champion.”