Khamzat Chimaev is ready to fight again, but the former UFC middleweight champion is still waiting to discover who will be standing across the Octagon from him.
Chimaev lost the belt to Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 in May, suffering the first defeat of his professional MMA career in the process. He remains the No.1-ranked middleweight contender, though, and has now publicly named four opponents he would be willing to face next: Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.
The obvious target is another shot at Strickland. Whether the UFC gives Chimaev an immediate title rematch is less certain, particularly while the champion recovers from a shoulder problem and several contenders make their own case for a championship opportunity.
Borralho has already responded to Chimaev’s callout and suggested November at Madison Square Garden or December in Las Vegas. Neither event has been linked officially to Chimaev yet, but there are clearly options if the UFC wants him back before the end of 2026.
For the confirmed dates already on the calendar, BetVictor’s UFC schedule 2026 tracks upcoming events, locations and UK start times.
When Is Khamzat Chimaev Fighting Next?
There is no confirmed date for Khamzat Chimaev’s next fight at the time of writing.
What has changed is his willingness to move on from waiting solely for Sean Strickland. Chimaev has made it clear that he is ready to begin another camp and would accept a fight against several of the leading names at middleweight.
Two possible dates have already been mentioned publicly by Caio Borralho.
UFC 334 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on 14 November, while UFC 335 is scheduled for the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 12 December. Borralho has said he would be willing to face Chimaev on either card.
That does not mean Khamzat is booked for November or December. The UFC has made no announcement and the opponent remains unresolved.
What it does give us is a realistic window if the promotion decides against waiting for Strickland.
Who Will Khamzat Chimaev Fight Next?
Four names are currently in the conversation because Chimaev named them himself:
- Sean Strickland
- Dricus Du Plessis
- Nassourdine Imavov
- Caio Borralho
All four make sense for different reasons.
Strickland offers the belt and a chance to avenge Chimaev’s only defeat. Du Plessis is ranked second and has history with him. Imavov sits third in the current middleweight rankings and offers a completely fresh matchup, while Borralho has already accepted the challenge publicly.
The middleweight title picture therefore gives Chimaev plenty of options even if his preferred fight is unavailable.
BetVictor’s UFC rankings 2026 page tracks the latest order across the division as the title race develops.
Will Khamzat Chimaev Fight Sean Strickland Again?
A Sean Strickland rematch remains the biggest fight available to Chimaev at middleweight.
Their first meeting came at UFC 328 on 9 May, when Chimaev entered as the champion and an enormous betting favourite. BetVictor had Chimaev at 1/7 before the fight, while Strickland was available at 4/1 to pull off the upset. That is exactly what happened.
Strickland survived the early threat, found increasing success on the feet and eventually won a split decision after five rounds. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland, while the third had the same score for Chimaev.
The result gave Strickland the middleweight championship for the second time and handed Chimaev his first professional loss.
An immediate rematch would therefore be easy to promote. The problem is timing.
Strickland has been dealing with a shoulder injury and does not yet have a confirmed return date. If his recovery keeps him out for several more months, Chimaev may decide that staying active is more important than waiting.
What Went Wrong for Khamzat Against Strickland?
The biggest concern from UFC 328 was how dramatically the fight changed as it developed.
Chimaev had built much of his reputation around overwhelming opponents with pressure and wrestling. Against Strickland, that threat was still there early, but maintaining the same pace over five rounds proved much harder.
Strickland gradually found more opportunities to work behind his boxing, apply pressure and force longer striking exchanges. By the later rounds, the fight looked very different from the kind of dominant performances Chimaev had produced earlier in his career.
It was still close enough for one judge to score the contest in Chimaev’s favour, so the result was hardly a collapse.
The defeat did raise an important question, though. If Chimaev cannot force the fight into the grappling exchanges he wants, can he consistently win championship rounds against elite middleweights who are comfortable staying on their feet?
His next opponent may decide how quickly we get another answer.
Could Khamzat Chimaev Fight Dricus Du Plessis Next?
There is history here, although Du Plessis may not be desperate to revisit it.
Chimaev won the middleweight championship from DDP at UFC 319 in August 2025 and produced one of the most dominant title-winning performances of recent years.
All three judges scored the fight 50-44 for Chimaev.
Du Plessis has since worked his way back into the title picture and recently beat former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision over five rounds. That victory kept him firmly among the leading contenders at 185lb.
He currently sits second in the rankings, directly underneath Chimaev.
From a rankings perspective, the fight makes complete sense. From DDP’s perspective, there may be more attractive routes towards another title shot than immediately trying to solve the man who comprehensively beat him the first time.
Our Du Plessis vs Usman guide covers the matchup that helped move DDP back towards the top of the division.
Is Nassourdine Imavov the Best Option?
If the UFC wants Chimaev to earn another title shot rather than handing him an immediate rematch, Nassourdine Imavov may be one of the cleanest options.
Imavov currently sits third in the middleweight rankings, meaning a fight with Chimaev could operate as a straightforward title eliminator.
There is also the benefit of novelty.
Chimaev has already fought both Strickland and Du Plessis. Imavov would give him a completely different stylistic problem and avoid relying on another rematch so soon after losing the belt.
From an SEO and betting perspective, Chimaev vs Imavov odds would also be particularly interesting because both men sit so close together in the title picture.
The downside is that Imavov has his own argument for a championship opportunity, so he may prefer to wait rather than risk that position against the No.1 contender.
Could Khamzat Chimaev Fight Caio Borralho?
Borralho is the opponent who has responded most clearly.
After Chimaev named him among the four fighters he would face, the Brazilian immediately accepted and suggested either Madison Square Garden in November or Las Vegas in December.
That makes this more than a fantasy matchup.
Borralho currently sits sixth in BetVictor’s middleweight rankings and returned to winning form earlier this year against Reinier de Ridder. A victory over Chimaev would represent the biggest result of his UFC career and could completely change his position in the division.
For Khamzat, the calculation is different.
Beating the No.6 contender probably does less for him than beating Imavov or DDP, but Borralho may be easier to book if the higher-ranked names are waiting for the title picture to clear.
That could make him the practical option rather than the most obvious one.
What Is Khamzat Chimaev’s Record?
Khamzat Chimaev’s professional MMA record currently stands at 15 wins and one defeat.
The Strickland decision remains the only loss of his career.
Before that night, Chimaev had built one of the most impressive rises through the UFC roster, with victories across welterweight and middleweight before eventually winning the 185lb championship from Du Plessis.
His record includes wins over:
- Dricus Du Plessis
- Robert Whittaker
- Kamaru Usman
- Gilbert Burns
- Kevin Holland
- Gerald Meerschaert
That résumé is one of the reasons Chimaev remains ranked first despite losing the belt.
He did not suddenly become an ordinary contender because of one close decision.
Is Khamzat Chimaev Still the No.1 UFC Middleweight Contender?
Yes. Chimaev remains No.1 in the UFC middleweight rankings, directly beneath champion Sean Strickland.
The current leading contenders are:
- Khamzat Chimaev
- Dricus Du Plessis
- Nassourdine Imavov
- Joe Pyfer
- Brendan Allen
- Caio Borralho
That ranking keeps Chimaev in a very strong position.
The debate is not whether he belongs near the championship. It is whether losing his first title defence means somebody else should get the next opportunity before he does.
Khamzat Chimaev Next Fight Odds
There are no official Khamzat Chimaev next fight odds until an opponent and event are confirmed.
Once that happens, the early fight-winner market should be particularly interesting.
Chimaev has traditionally been a strong betting favourite. The clearest recent example came against Strickland, when BetVictor priced him at 1/7 despite facing a former UFC champion.
That upset is likely to change how future Khamzat odds are viewed.
If the next opponent is Borralho, Chimaev could again open as a sizeable favourite. A fight with DDP or Imavov would probably produce a more competitive market, while a Strickland rematch would force bettors to decide how much weight to place on what happened in May.
Once a fight is announced, typical UFC betting markets could include:
- Fight winner
- Method of victory
- Total rounds
- Fight to go the distance
- Round betting
- Winning method and round
The latest prices for confirmed cards are available through BetVictor’s UFC betting odds.
Will Khamzat Chimaev Get Another UFC Title Shot?
Almost certainly at some point if he keeps winning. Whether that comes next is much harder to predict.
Chimaev has the No.1 ranking and lost the title by the narrowest possible margin, which gives him a strong argument for another opportunity. Strickland’s injury complicates matters because the UFC may not want one of its biggest middleweight names sitting inactive while the champion recovers. That could lead to Chimaev taking another fight first.
A victory over Imavov or Du Plessis would make the case for a second title shot extremely difficult to argue against. Beating Borralho would keep him active and protect his position, although it might not settle the title discussion quite as decisively.
The next booking therefore matters almost as much as the result.
Who Should Khamzat Chimaev Fight Next?
If Strickland is healthy enough to return before the end of the year, the rematch is still the fight I would make.
The first contest was close, the championship is involved and Chimaev has never had the opportunity to respond to a defeat before.
If Strickland is unavailable, Imavov feels like the strongest sporting option. No previous fight to recycle, two highly ranked contenders and a clear argument that the winner should be next for the belt.
Borralho may be the easiest fight to organise quickly, particularly after publicly offering November and December dates.
That leaves DDP somewhere in the middle. He has earned his way back towards the title, but after losing every round to Chimaev in their first fight, another meeting probably needs a little more time to become truly compelling.
What Happens Next for Khamzat Chimaev?
For now, Chimaev is waiting. The difference is that he is no longer waiting quietly for one opponent.
Strickland remains the priority, but DDP, Imavov and Borralho are now publicly on the table. With UFC 334 and UFC 335 still to come before the end of the year, there are obvious places to put him if the UFC wants to move quickly.
The next announcement should tell us plenty about how the promotion views the middleweight title picture.
An immediate Strickland rematch says Chimaev’s first defeat changed very little.
A title eliminator says he has to earn his way back. Either way, one of the UFC’s biggest names appears ready to return.
For the latest fight announcements and UK start times once Khamzat’s next opponent is confirmed, follow the BetVictor UFC and MMA news hub.
