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Khamzat Chimaev reacts to rumors of Sean Strickland vs. Nassourine Imavov 2: "Whoever wins, we'll take him"

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Khamzat Chimaev reacts to rumors of Sean Strickland vs. Nassourine Imavov 2: "Whoever wins, we'll take him"
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Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fight
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Khamzat Chimaev won't complain if Nassourdine Imavov is next in line for a UFC middleweight title fight, but he's confident he'll get the gold back at some point.

When Chimaev insisted that he wanted an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland after losing the 185-pound hardware at UFC 328 back in May, some fans were caught off guard. Chimaev's comments were far different than what UFC CEO Dana White claimed during a chat with media members. White initially said that Chimaev told him he was done at middleweight and was ready to move up.

Fast forward to the end of summer, and “Borz†is now calling out other 185-pound contenders. Rumors of Strickland's next title fight being against Imavov have surfaced. Ushatayka posted a clip of Chimaev responding to the rumor, and he seems unbothered if it turns out to be correct.

“There's no surprise,†Chimaev said. “How long has Imavov been waiting now? He's already the contender. Whoever wins, we'll take him.â€

Chimaev's aforementioned defeat to Strickland was the first in his pro MMA career. It was a competitive five-round affair that was won by the slimmest of margins. Strickland was awarded the split decision to become a two-time UFC middleweight titleholder.

While Chimaev was initially insistent that a rematch with Strickland was the fight to make, he has suddenly changed course. “Borz†hopped on X and said that not only would he take a title rematch with Strickland, but he'd also throw down with Imavov, Caio Borralho, and he'd even accept a rematch with Dricus du Plessis.

If UFC plans to book Imavov against Strickland next, it'll be interesting to see who Chimaev will be matched up against. We'll have the latest details once they become available.

If Khamzat Chimaev does not get an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland, who would you book him against? Sound off in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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MMA

Gregory Rodrigues sees ‘technical mistakes’ he can exploit in Dricus Du Plessis

Published

2 hours ago

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September 3, 2026

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Gregory Rodrigues sees ‘technical mistakes’ he can exploit in Dricus Du Plessis
Gregory
Rodrigues sees openings he can exploit against Dricus Du
Plessis.

Rodrigues called out du Plessis after his recent victory over
Anthony
Hernandez, which extended his win streak to four straight. The
Brazilian views the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion as the
“most logical matchup†for his next bout.

Gregory Rodrigues explains why Dricus Du Plessis is the matchup
he wants next

With Khamzat
Chimaev's future uncertain, and Brendan
Allen and Joe Pyfer
already booked, Rodrigues claims the time is right for the du
Plessis matchup.

“That's the fight that makes the most sense,†Rodrigues told
Sherdog. “I don't know what's going on with Chimaev and I think
Brendan Allen and Pyfer already have fights booked, so DDP seems
like the most logical matchup.â€

Rodrigues remains open to other matchups but is confident he can
beat du Plessis, eyeing holes in the South African's game.

“Dricus is very strong and tough and he beat the current champion,
but he makes a lot of technical mistakes that I can capitalize on,â€
Rodrigues added.

Despite having two wins over the current champ Sean
Strickland, du Plessis seemingly isn't atop the pecking order
of challengers at 185 pounds. In his last outing, “Stillknocksâ€
beat former welterweight champ Kamaru
Usman in a lopsided decision.

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MMA

Khamzat Chimaev gets Gilbert Burns rematch, this time on wrestling mat

Published

5 hours ago

on

September 3, 2026

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Khamzat Chimaev gets Gilbert Burns rematch, this time on wrestling mat
Khamzat
Chimaev and Gilbert
Burns are set to collide once again, this time on the wrestling
mat at Real American Freestyle.

The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder and the
former welterweight title challenger will meet at RAF 13 on Sept.
18 at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. The pair previously
faced off at
UFC 273, where Chimaev edged Burns via decision.

Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns will meet at RAF 13 four
years after their UFC 273 classic

The RAF matchup comes over four years after Chimaev and Burns
squared off in one of UFC’s most memorable bouts of 2022, which
earned Fight of the Night honors.

Chimaev already has another RAF assignment locked in before the
Burns match. “Borz†is scheduled to face former UFC champion
Tyron
Woodley in the main event of RAF Moscow on Sept. 5. He made his
RAF debut earlier this year against Dillon
Danis.

Meanwhile, Burns announced his retirement from mixed martial arts
following a loss to Mike Malott
in April. The defeat was his fifth straight. Since stepping away
from MMA, Burns has turned his attention to management and has also
competed in UFC BJJ. The upcoming match with Chimaev marks the
Brazilian's debut in RAF.

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MMA

Khamzat Chimaev reacts to rumored Nassourdine Imavov vs. Sean Strickland title fight

Published

8 hours ago

on

September 3, 2026

By

Khamzat Chimaev reacts to rumored Nassourdine Imavov vs. Sean Strickland title fight

Khamzat Chimaev wants the UFC middleweight title back, but more than anything, he wants to get active again and fight sooner rather than later.

That's why Chimaev doesn't seem all that upset about the rumored fight between current champ Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov, who has been considered the No. 1 contender at 185 pounds for quite some time. While the UFC hasn't announced anything, rumors began swirling this week that Strickland would defend his belt against Imavov in December rather than a rematch with Chimaev.

If that happens, Chimaev doesn't seem to care too much.

“No, there's no surprise,†Chimaev said on Thursday via Ushatayka. “How long has Imavov been waiting now? Probably around two years. He's already the contender. Whoever wins, we'll take him.â€

Imavov is currently riding an impressive six-fight unbeaten streak, including a knockout win over former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya as well as victories over Caio Borralho and Brendan Allen along the way. The last time Imavov tasted defeat was back in 2023 when he dropped a decision to Strickland after accepting the fight on short notice.

Since beating Chimaev to become a two-time champion, Strickland has been recovering from his injuries with hopes he could compete again before the end of the year. It appears now he might get his wish with Imavov suddenly emerging as the top choice for his next opponent.

As for Chimaev, he already hinted earlier this week that he was interested in a fight against Borralho, who is a top-10 ranked middleweight and also hunting for a title shot of his own.

Chimaev seemed to like that fight, and he promises this is just the next step in his middleweight journey because he's not going anywhere until he cleans out the division.

“Until we break everybody at 185, I'm not going anywhere,†Chimaev said.

First things first, Chimaev is wrestling former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the main event for RAF Moscow, which goes down on Saturday in Russia.

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