Khamzat Chimaev appears ready for his next challenge after losing the UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. Despite the setback, the former champion has made his intentions clear. He wants to keep fighting and is already looking beyond the 185-pound division.Chimaev’s UFC 328 loss to Strickland was a painful one. The Chechen Wolf dropped the middleweight championship after five competitive rounds. Strickland won the fight by split decision.
Khamzat Chimaev wants Dana White to make his next fight happen soon
Khanzat Chimaev has now sent a direct message to UFC CEO Dana White. The fighter wants to know what is stopping his next big opportunity. In his latest post he wrote, “What are we waiting for? I want to fight @danawhite”. It has added more intrigue to his future.The UFC 328 result immediately created questions about a rematch between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. Many fans believed the close decision could lead to another fight between the two men.However, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Chimaev had other plans.During the UFC 328 post-show press conference, White said he spoke briefly with Chimaev after the fight. The former champion reportedly told him that he was finished competing at middleweight.White revealed Chimaev’s message during the press conference. “He literally walked up to me after the fight and said ‘I want to move up [to light heavyweight]. I don’t want to fight in this weight class anymore.’ Him moving up is exciting”, he said.The decision would represent a major change for Chimaev. He has competed at both welterweight and middleweight during his UFC career. Moving to 205 pounds would give him another opportunity to test himself against much bigger opponents.It could also put him in position to chase a second UFC championship in another weight class.The timing is particularly interesting because UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg is currently dealing with a torn ACL. That could potentially create an opening in the division while the champion is recovering.But Chimaev’s immediate focus appears to be getting back into competition.He received a standard 45-day medical suspension after the Strickland fight, including 30 days without contact. The suspension was related to normal post-fight recovery and was not disciplinary.Chimaev has since moved beyond that period and is scheduled to compete against Tyron Woodley in a grappling contest for Real American Freestyle in Moscow.For now, it remains unclear whether his next UFC appearance will come at middleweight or light heavyweight. A rematch with Strickland also remains a possibility if the UFC decides to revisit the title fight.But Chimaev appears determined to move forward.After losing his belt, he is not hiding from the spotlight. Instead, he is pushing Dana White to make his next opportunity happen.The message is simple. Chimaev wants to fight again. Now, the question is what the UFC has planned for him.
