Khamzat Chimaev Wants His Belt Back, But Not the Next Title Shot

Khamzat Chimaev isn't chasing revenge. He's chasing the middleweight belt he lost by a close decision to Sean Strickland back in May — and he knows he probably won't get the next crack at it. So instead of sitting and waiting, he's staying active, starting with a grudge match against Gilbert Burns this Saturday in Miami under the RAF banner.

Chimaev also addressed the elephant in the room: his health. His body has scuttled fights before, but he's downplaying it this time. Speaking Thursday, he said the problem is his hands — he hits hard, so they need fixing — and that it's nothing serious enough to keep him out of sparring. If he does step away, he insists it's one or two months, not the long vanishing acts that have defined stretches of his career.

The Title Logjam

The path back to gold is blocked, and Chimaev knows it. Current champ Sean Strickland is expected to defend against Nassourdine Imavov before the year closes, which leaves the No. 1 contender spot in limbo. Chimaev says he'd happily fight whoever walks out with the belt — Strickland or Imavov — though he's leaning toward Imavov as the tougher, more likely next opponent for himself.

With the champion tied up, Chimaev went looking for a live body and found Caio Borralho. He says Borralho accepted the challenge but was nursing an injury when the October date came up, offering November or December instead. That's a fight worth booking on its own merits: Borralho sits at No. 5, carries an 18-2 record with nine finishes, and is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Reinier de Ridder.

Why Burns Matters

Saturday's bout with Burns is more than a keep-busy assignment. It's a rematch of sorts against a familiar rival, and a win keeps Chimaev's name loud while the title picture sorts itself out. He's made no secret of wanting to fight sooner rather than later, and he's been vocal about it on social media — the UFC just hasn't given him a date.

The bottom line: Chimaev wants the belt, wants to stay busy, and wants everyone to stop assuming an injury means a year on the shelf. Whether the promotion agrees on his timeline is the open question. For now, he's got Burns in front of him and Borralho penciled for late in the year — and a champion he'll happily face whenever the queue clears.