Khamzat Chimaev Will Chase Sean Strickland to 205 — and Heavyweight If He Has To

Khamzat Chimaev spent his whole career as the guy nobody could solve, and then in May, Sean Strickland solved him. A split-decision loss at UFC 328 handed Chimaev the middleweight belt he'd been building toward — and the first defeat of his professional life. Now he wants it back, and he's made it clear a change of weight class won't save Strickland from a rematch.

Chimaev told MMA Fighting's Mike Heck that if Strickland bolts to light heavyweight, he'll follow him to 205. If Strickland climbs higher than that, Chimaev says he'll go to heavyweight. His phrasing was blunt: this guy, he said, is not going to run from him.

Why Strickland Might Move Up

The twist here isn't the grudge — it's the paycheck dispute. Strickland has been publicly feuding with the UFC over pay, and he's floated vacating the title and jumping to light heavyweight just to burn through his remaining contract quickly. That throws the whole division into limbo. Nassourdine Imavov was supposed to be first in line for a crack at the belt, with the defense tentatively targeted for late 2026 or early 2027. Now the open question is whether Strickland defends it at all.

Follow the Money

Chimaev isn't pretending his motivation is pure competitive honor. He said the rematch is where the big check lives, and that's exactly why he's hunting it. Since the Strickland fight was one of the marquee events of 2026, a sequel carries serious commercial weight — and Chimaev knows the promotion would pay accordingly. He's chasing the biggest fights available, and right now Strickland is the biggest.

For context on how stacked the top end of the sport is this week, UFC 333 headlines with featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski — 28-4, with a résumé he's using to measure himself against Georges St-Pierre — defending against Movsar Evloev. Chimaev, meanwhile, is stuck watching from the sidelines and clearly hates it.

He says he's been training and asking for a fight, and he wants the Strickland-Imavov situation sorted so he can get back in the cage soon. If those two end up fighting, fine. If they don't, Chimaev wants one of them regardless. The message is simple: settle it, and point him at a name.