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

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1 month ago

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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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MMA

Alex Pereira backs Paulo Costa to beat Magomed Ankalaev with pressure

Published

7 hours ago

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October 14, 2026

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Alex Pereira backs Paulo Costa to beat Magomed Ankalaev with pressure
Alex
Pereira believes aggression could be decisive in a potential
fight between Paulo Costa
and Magomed
Ankalaev.

With
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion
Carlos
Ulberg sidelined by injury, Costa and Ankalaev are seeking a
title opportunity. Pereira believes his fellow Brazilian can defeat
Ankalaev by applying pressure.

Alex Pereira says Paulo Costa must impose his pace to defeat
Magomed Ankalaev

“Poatan†said Costa must impose his pace to beat Ankalaev. He
expects a more evenly matched contest if Costa hesitates.

“I think ‘Borrachinha' [wins],†Pereira told Laerte Viana. “He's
more aggressive. I think ‘Borrachinha' would do better. If he stays
there like will he or won't he [hesitant], then it will be a fairly
even fight. You don't know who takes it. But if he imposes his
game, his rhythm, I think he takes it.â€

Costa (16-4) and Ankalaev (21-2-1, 1 NC) have exchanged criticism
on social media, with Ankalaev accusing the Brazilian of declining
multiple offers to fight him. Costa has also publicly disputed the
UFC's proposed terms for his next bout, saying he wants to complete
the one fight remaining on his contract.

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MMA

Dana White dismisses Alex Pereira’s claims against Daniel Cormier: ‘I don’t tell anybody what to say’

Published

8 hours ago

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October 14, 2026

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Dana White dismisses Alex Pereira’s claims against Daniel Cormier: ‘I don’t tell anybody what to say’

Dana White puts no stock in Alex Pereira's complaints against Daniel Cormier.

“Of course that's not true,†White said. “These guys are the most paranoid people on the planet. Like we're telling DC — I've never told DC to do anything, ever. It doesn't work like that. We don't operate like that.â€

Pereira's complaint seems primarily to stem from his personal animosity with Gane. “Poatan†lost his fight with Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House, and has since lobbied for a rematch, citing illegal blows from Gane as the reason for his loss. Pereira has had some issues with the UFC before, but this one seems to run a bit deeper for the former two-division champion. It also comes at the same time as UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been airing his grievances about the promotion. But for White, this is simply a normal part of fight promotion.

“I don't know. We have over 700 guys on contract, and we've talked about two of them being sideways right now,†White said. “This is normal when you're in this business. As you guys know — first of all, I've never told Rogan or DC or any of these guys to say anything about anybody. And one of the things, as a longtime fan of the fight business, I actually can't stand the commentators saying negative things about fighters or anything like that.

“But I don't tell anybody what to say. I don't tell the fighters what to say, I don't tell the commentators what to say. This thing all just plays out organically in the way that the fights are called, and whatever they say when they walk out here and they interview with you guys tonight. We don't police any of that stuff. If we did, Sean Strickland would've been gone three f*cking years ago, and we wouldn't even be having this conversation.â€

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MMA

Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC

Published

1 day ago

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October 13, 2026

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC
Michael
“Venom” Page says his new deal will pay him more than he earned
during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure.

Page had promised an exciting performance against Nursulton
Ruziboev in September, the final bout of his UFC contract. He
won by unanimous decision, but the promotion opted not to re-sign
him. The Englishman now says his move to Misfits Boxing will bring
a substantial increase in earnings.

Michael Page compares three-fight Misfits contract with
earnings from six UFC appearances

Page produced highlight-reel knockouts in Bellator,
but all six of his UFC appearances went the distance. He finished
5-1 in the promotion, with his only loss coming against Ian
Garry.

Page (26-3) said he received offers from several promotions before
signing with Misfits. He expects to earn more from the three-fight
agreement than he did from his six UFC bouts, describing his new
compensation as roughly double what he previously earned. He also
said Misfits intends to launch an MMA show with him as a leading
figure.

“Misfits came with an absolutely crazy deal, which means I’ve
continued to grow and get better financially,†Page told Ariel
Helwani. “They have vision for the future. They're trying to get an
MMA show going, with me kind of lead that way, be the face of that…
I’ve left the UFC and I’m making more money. Like two times more,
maybe just over, and in a shorter period. In a three-fight deal,
I’ll make more than I have my whole UFC contract.â€

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