Chael Sonnen believes that Khamzat Chimaev will serve as the backup fighter for the UFC 312 main event on Saturday night, where Dricus Du Plessis is set to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland.
Sonnen’s reasoning stems from the UFC 311 event, which lost its main event at the last minute. Given that UFC 312 only features one middleweight bout, the former title contender suspects the promotion wouldn’t risk another title fight cancellation.
“I think Chimaev’s the backup fighter,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t believe that Chimaev is just the No. 1 contender. I don’t believe that the proximity of this fight is something that you would not book Chimaev, who allegedly has Western travel issues.”
Chimaev, who recently secured citizenship in the United Arab Emirates, is coming off a dominant first-round submission victory over former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last October. This further solidifies Sonnen’s belief that Chimaev will be involved in some capacity at UFC 312.
“I don’t think you would do that without bringing him. I’m confident that Chimaev will be there, I’m confident he will be in attendance, so why, if you’re flying him out, would you not put him on the scale the day before? I’m asking. I don’t know that answer.”
It seems like everybody who trains with Khamzat Chimaev has got nothing but great things to say about him. When “Borz” first arrived in the UFC, there was an unmatched aura around him.
The undefeated contender was dominating opponents without taking any damage whilst competing at both welterweight and middleweight. His run of being ready to take on and run straight through anyone in the world encountered some speed bumps along the way but despite this, Chimaev is finally in the middleweight title picture after debuting inside the Octagon back in 2020.
For all of his health issues that have prevented him from being overly active, no one has been able to solve the unique puzzle that he brings to the table as of yet and his latest win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 showed just how dangerous Chimaev still is. A huge part of the boogeyman atmosphere surrounding him in the early days of his UFC career were the stories that you heard from training partners.
In a recent interview with Dylan Bowker, Matěj Peňáz gave his insight on what it is like to train alongside a man who fight fans still have so many questions about. Peňáz is a very dangerous striker who currently competes in OKTAGON with the only loss of his pro career coming on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2022 where he was submitted by Sedriques Dumas.
Unsurprisingly, the Czech athlete had glowing reviews for Chimaev as he spoke about his experience working with him on the mats in Sweden.
“Oh with Khamzat [Chimaev], we train together in Allstars gym in Sweden. Yeah, Khamzat is a really hard worker. He’s like; he’s the guy who is like first in the gym and last. So yeah, it was very good experience for me. His wrestling is amazing. He’s like really; I never met anybody with wrestling like this.
“He is so fast and so; he has like such good skills in the wrestling. He’s really good fighter and I’m always looking for his fights. How he can dominate his opponents and he [does] not [make] mistake[s].”
Many fight fans have believed for some time that the question has been when will Khamzat Chimaev become the UFC middleweight champion rather than will he claim the top spot at 185-pounds. If there’s one thing that has significantly hurt his progress in recent years, it has been his lack of activity.
In both 2023 and 2024, “Borz” only stepped foot inside the Octagon on one occasion but he has remained undefeated meaning that whilst his momentum does feel a lot more muted than it once was, he’s becoming more undeniable with each performance. This is especially true for his one fight this past year where he submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308 to pick up his biggest and most terrifying win to date.
Chimaev was seemingly the favorite to challenge the champion Dricus Du Plessis in what will be the titleholder’s second title defense but the UFC went with the Sean Strickland rematch that will take place at UFC 312 next month. With Chimaev holding the #3-spot in the rankings, it still seems likely that he will face the winner unless Israel Adesanya is able to get back into the win column this past weekend with a Strickland rematch for the title making a lot of sense if the reign of Du Plessis comes to an end in Australia.
Nassourdine Imavov remains focused on his title aspirations, confident that his path to a middleweight championship is clearer than ever — despite past comments from UFC CEO Dana White.
Imavov is scheduled to face former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at the second UFC Fight Night event in Saudi Arabia. The bout will take place on Feb. 1 at anb Arena in Riyadh.
Currently boasting a 15-4 record, “The Sniper” has been on a strong run, winning three consecutive fights, including a decision victory over Brendan Allen in Paris last September. A win against Adesanya would mark the biggest triumph of his career and firmly place him in the middleweight title conversation.
Although White has indicated that Khamzat Chimaev is likely next in line for a title shot, Imavov remains optimistic about his chances, particularly with middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis set to defend his title against Sean Strickland at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 in Sydney.
“Of course, depending on the performance, I can get the next title shot,” Imavov told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “It can be Khamzat. The fact that I went for four fights in one year, two top five, two top 10, that’s something very significant.
“I’m never turning down any fights, and that’s something the UFC likes a lot. So we’ll see what happens. For now, I’m focusing on my next fight, and we’ll see after that.”
Imavov’s consistent willingness to take on all challengers and his growing momentum make him a compelling contender in the middleweight division as he prepares for the toughest fight of his career.
The reigning UFC 155-pound champion has long voiced his desire to become a two-division champion by moving up a weight class, vowing not to retire until he achieves this goal. However, standing in the way of Makhachev’s quest for a second UFC title is welterweight champ Belal Muhammad.
During a recent interview with Aslanbek Badaev, “Borz” weighed in on the possibility of Makhachev making the leap to the 185-pound division. Chimaev offered a measured response, stating that if anyone was truly capable of climbing weight classes and dominating, it would be UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“Well if Islam wants to, and Abdelaziz wants, let him go and try, Chimaev said. “I don’t know. i can’t give an asnwer about Islam now as I haven’t trained with him. Maybe it’s possible, maybe not. I anyone could move [and complete] at 170 or 185 [pounds], it would be Khabib. As for Islam, if have many doubts becuase of his last fight at 155. It was tough for him. Although I had a tough fightwith Gilbert Buns [at 170], then I moved up to 185 and it was easier [to fight] there. Maybe Islam will have the same situation. He might move up and it will become much esasier. Well only the Octagon can show.”
Khamzat Chimaev is asked if Islam Makhachev is capable of competing at 185:
“If anyone could move up [and compete] at 170 or 185 it would be Khabib. As for Islam, I have my doubts because of his last fight. It was tough for him.”
Makhachev is on an impressive 14-fight win streak, with his latest victory coming at UFC 303 in June 2024. There, he secured a gritty fifth-round submission over Dustin Poirier to successfully retain his title.
Nickal, meanwhile, is still learning the world of MMA in his early career, as he holds an undefeated record and is coming off a decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309. Despite that, though, Sonnen thinks the fight must happen as their paths are going to eventually cross.
”I’ve got to get Bo Nickal and Chimaev,” Sonnen said during an interview with Nickal himself. “I can’t keep these guys separated forever. We’re told that we don’t get to see this fight because of the discrepancy in the rankings. Now, Chimaev has put himself in a spot to go fight for a title.
“Those two have been aligned from Jump Street. … Chimaev’s undefeated, Bo’s undefeated. Chimaev’s good with the wrestling, Bo’s good with the wrestling, Chimaev’s got a bunch of fans, that’s up and coming as a future title contender. Check, check, and check for Bo. I don’t know why we’re keeping them apart when we got guys under contract. Make the fight.”
The last two years have produced a staggering amount of title changes in the UFC. Following the record-tying eleven times that we heard “And New” in 2023, 2024 saw seven fighters capture the gold.
Valentina Shevchenko, Raquel Pennington, Julianna Peña, Merab Dvalishvili, Ilia Topuria, Belal Muhammad and Dricus Du Plessis all got their hands on the most coveted prize in MMA but former champion Michael Bisping believes that 2025 will see less movement. In a recent episode of Fight Week on TNT Sports, Bisping (alongside co-hosts Adam Catterall & Nick Peet) gave his predictions for who will end 2025 as the champion of each division.
He believes that four belts will be held by different competitors in 12-months time. At women’s strawweight, Bisping predicted that Tatiana Suarez will finally realize her true potential by becoming the new champion whether or not she defeats Weili Zhang in the co-main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia this February.
“I’ve got to go with Tatiana Suarez – I did say that this time last year. Of course, she’s fighting Zhang Weili, so we’ll see how that plays out. I just think the wrestling that Tatiana Suarez has is going to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time next year, one way or another, she’ll be the champ.”
Bisping also believes that the women’s bantamweight division will have a new face in the form of Kayla Harrison. The former PFL star has made a huge impact since arriving in the UFC, producing back-to-back wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to put her in title contention.
“The women’s bantamweight champion, there’s only going to be one name in discussion: Kayla Harrison. No offense to Julianna Peña, I think she’s great for the sport, she’s a fun person. She’s fun to sit and watch fights with because she talks a lot of s-h-i-t the whole time. She’s great, but Kayla Harrison, I believe, will be too big, too strong, too good at judo, too mentally strong, too fit. She’ll drag her down, she’ll get the submission, and she’ll also get the belt.”
The middleweight title is also set to be on the line at UFC 312 on February 8 but “The Count” does not see either man in that matchup ending the year on top. He believes that Khamzat Chimaev will become the champion by the end of the year, regardless of who he has to face to finally get his hands on the belt.
“It’s interesting because I’m looking at the rankings here. I never thought we’d see a year where Robert Whittaker wasn’t in the conversation. It just shows the sport is such a cruel mistress. Obviously, Khamzat Chimaev squeezed his teeth out last time, and yeah, I’m gonna have to say Khazmzat. Dricus (Du Plessis) is a tremendous champion. I think him and Sean (Strickland) will have another close fight, but I think regardless, when Khamzat gets his chance, he’ll be victorious. I mean, what he did to Robert Whittaker – I’ll never underestimate that man ever again.”
“If there is an interim champion, it will be Tom Aspinall. However, I don’t think there will be one. I believe that the reason Tom isn’t fighting at London is because Jon Jones–Tom Aspinall will go down. The biggest heavyweight fight the sport has ever seen. Maybe the biggest fight period that this sport has ever seen. Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and when the dust settles, ‘Tommy Aspinall, Aspinall, Tommy Aspinall! Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na!’”
The odds are in for the UFC’s champions in 2025, and the betting line for one particular division has caused a stir…
As always, titles are expected to change hands on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage in the new year. DraftKings has the middleweight class as one in which a new kingpin could be crowned.
As it stands, he’d have to unseat Dricus Du Plessis to do so. The South African will enter the year with the crown after a 2024 in which he took it from Sean Strickland and defended it against Israel Adesanya.
The odds have “Stillknocks” as the second favorite to finish 2025 as champ at +120, being pipped to the post by “Borz’s” -200 line.
That, in addition to the figures beside names like Caio Borralho, Sean Strickland, Nassourdine Imavov and Adesanya, have split opinion in the MMA community online.
The first chance to dent Du Plessis’ chances of another Christmas as king has fallen to Strickland, who is set to face the South African in a rematch next February. The pair will headline UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia 13 months on from their close five-round contest in Canada.
Sean Strickland is set to challenge for the UFC middleweight title for the second time in his upcoming rematch with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312. The former champion stuck to the idea that he would wait for his shot at “Stillknocks” following his win over Paulo Costa in June and it paid off for him with the fight being announced this past weekend at UFC 310.
For his head coach at Xtreme Couture, Eric Nicksick, the next few months will be all about looking at what they need to do differently in order to defeat Du Plessis in Sydney, Australia. Their first meeting at UFC 297 came down to a close split decision that saw the South African become the 185-pound champion.
Nicksick spoke in a recent interview with Submission Radio about which opponent is a bigger threat to Strickland out of the current champion and the other top contender in the division. He explained why in his opinion, as of right now, Du Plessis is their biggest challenge.
“I mean, you would have to say [Dricus du Plessis] because he won, he beat us. Right now you have to say that [he’s the tougher matchup] because that’s the task at hand. I think Khamzat presents tons of different variables to his style that we’re gonna have to look at how to break down once that challenge presents itself. But right now, DDP is the toughest challenge for us.”
Robert Whittaker, a former UFC middleweight champion, is eager to see how Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland would fare if they faced Khamzat Chimaev.
Strickland is set to challenge reigning titleholder Du Plessis in a rematch that headlines UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chimaev, fresh off a dominant first-round submission victory over Whittaker at UFC 308 in October, is likely to face the winner. “Borz’s” last win saw him claim victory via a crushing face crank, leaving Whittaker with significant injuries.
Reflecting on the potential matchups that lie in his recent opponent’s future, Whittaker expressed doubts about either Du Plessis or Strickland being able to defend against Chimaev’s relentless takedown game.
“I think he just takes them down and does the same thing — not necessarily to me, but like how he beat (Kamaru) Usman or Gilbert Burns,” Whittaker shared on his MMArcade Podcast. “I can see those sorts of fights. I think he’d have more success with Strickland than Du Plessis because Du Plessis is a big dude. Stopping that first takedown is so crazy. The way he shoots that first shot is crazy. How do you stop that dude? Jump over him?”
Whittaker also questioned whether Strickland could make the necessary adjustments to avenge his previous loss to the South African, which came via split decision at UFC 297 in Canada this past January.
UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis insists he is not “unhappy” about the promotion’s decision regarding his next challenger.
During this past weekend’s pay-per-view broadcast, it was announced that Du Plessis will return to Australia — the site of his successful first defense against Israel Adesanya in August — to headline UFC 312 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Against him will be former champ Sean Strickland, who staked his claim for a chance at redemption opposite the man who dethroned him this past January when he outpointed Paulo Costa in a lackluster affair four months later. But while his shot has ultimately come to fruition, there was some doubt prior to the recent reveal.
But although that evidently fell on deaf ears, the South African says he’s more than happy to beat whomever the UFC places in front of him.
Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Withaker. I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision like I said I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.
“Just for clarification, I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs (Whittaker),” Du Plessis wrote on X. “I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision. Like I said, I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.”
He did, however, reiterate his belief that Strickland is not truly deserving of the shot at UFC 312 in response to a commenter.
After falling on the right side of a split decision to capture the crown at Strickland’s expense in Canada, “Stillknocks” continued to prove his doubters wrong by submitting former two-time champ Adesanya at UFC 305.
Du Plessis will now look to secure a more definitive victory over Strickland to extend his lead in their rivalry to 2-0, before likely turning attention to Chimaev later in the year.
Fittingly, “The Future” has never been on to avoid looking into the future. And when it comes to his plan post-Dec. 7, the Irishman has more than one belt in mind.
“I’m a young kid who’s dreamed of being here, who wanted to see his face on billboards.” Garry told Ariel Helwani this week. “(I) wanted to do shows against the scariest people in the world. I’ve said to you before, how my ideal scenario is I fight and beat Shavkat, and then win the welterweight title. I go up to middleweight, I fight Khamzat and win that belt too.
“I’m not afraid of any man. I know how talented I am. I know the gifts God gave me,” Garry added.
It didn’t take long for the middleweight specifically named by Garry while he became the latest expressing two-division goals to give his thoughts.
Taking to social media, Chimaev sent the unbeaten Dublin native a stern warning.
@ianagaryy Ты слишком худой пацан, не лезь к зубам Волка, без головы останешься 😁
“@ianagaryy You’re too skinny kid, don’t go near the Wolf’s teeth, you’ll end up headless,” Chimaev wrote on X.
While Chimaev rose into title contention at welterweight, struggles to hit the 171-pound limit resulted in a permanent move to 185 pounds. He’s since thrived, defeating both Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker to rise to #3 on the divisional ladder.
It looked for a long time like Dricus Du Plessis’ next middleweight title defense would see him face Sean Strickland in a rematch but that was until Khamzat Chimaev changed the narrative. Du Plessis won the middleweight title at UFC 297 in January by beating Strickland via a split decision and after the former champ rebounded with a win, this was the clear direction to go in.
The only other potential candidate at the time was another former champion in Robert Whittaker but when he was booked to face Chimaev at UFC 308, all the title plans needed to be put on hold until that fight played out. What we ended up getting was a statement win from the undefeated Chimaev who became just the second man to submit “The Reaper” in 34 pro fights.
As a result, Chimaev challenging Du Plessis for the belt is now the most exciting fight in the division but one barrier to it happening could be the issues that “Borz” has faced in regards to staying active. His recent social media post appears to address that and remove it from the conversation.
Chimaev has not fought in the United States since UFC 279 in 2022 with his wins over Whittaker and Kamaru Usman both taking place in Abu Dhabi. He previously told Kevin Iole that if Donald Trump was re-elected as President, fighting in the United States wouldn’t be an issue for him.
“Let Donald Trump win the fight and I will be there.”
Posting on X, Chimaev tagged the 185-pound champion with nothing more than an image and eye emoji attached to get across his point that there is nothing that can get in the way of him being the next challenger. It now looks likely that we will see this huge fight take place at middleweight with it potentially being held in the United States.
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has his eyes on a mid-2025 return after repairing the damage he sustained at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev last month.
Following two strong appearances in 2024 that saw him outpoint Paulo Costa and knock out the highly touted Ikram Aliskerov, Whittaker hoped to make it three on the bounce at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.
But his pursuit of a rematch with current titleholder Dricus Du Plessis came to an emphatic halt at the hands of Chimaev, who added “The Reaper” to the list of victims on his undefeated record.
But the former champ is now on the mend, and he’s even eyeing a return to action as soon as May 2025.
“I’m going to give a bit of time. I’m not going to rush into the next fight, because there are some things I want to address,” Whittaker said. “I’m probably looking to return in June. June-ish? End of May? I don’t know. We’ll play with the dates next year.”
And when he does make the walk again, “The Reaper” is promising to adapt and show new wrinkles to his game.
“I’m 34 in December,” Whittaker noted. “I still have, I feel like some tricks up my sleeve. I still have some goals that I want to hit. Like I said, I am building some new skills. But that’s just how I look at things. Every obstacle and setback just makes me stronger, it makes the comeback better. I’m looking forward to getting back in there. I’m enjoying training. I’m excited for the next, what I could be.”
While Whittaker focuses on his recovery and plan to display a new and improved “Bobby Knuckles” next year, Chimaev has his sights set on the middleweight gold.
Robert Whittaker’s dental surgery, prompted by the injury from his last trip to the Octagon, uncovered a startling underlying issue.
Whittaker endured his first submission loss in the UFC. He suffered a crushing setback that also left him with severe dental damage — a brutal souvenir from Khamzat Chimaev’s relentless face crank in the opening round of UFC 308 last month.
However, the Aussie clarified that wasn’t the case. Instead, the injury, which had developed cumulatively since his younger years, affected the lower bone supporting his teeth, causing it to snap and be displaced — steering clear of a full jaw fracture but resulting in considerable damage.
Although he managed to temporarily address them, the situation progressively worsened, ultimately reaching a breaking point after his latest outing.
“I’ve always kind of had bad bottom teeth because I’ve had missing teeth here for like 10 years plus,” Whittaker said. “So they’ve always kind of been shot because they’re not stable — they’re not a full circuit; they’re like half… But they kinda got pushed in a little bit when I fought Dricus [Du Plessis]. I had to cast them in there, let them settle, yada yada yada, move on. Then, when I fought Ikram [Aliskerov], I had all the infections. Had to get four root canals, and I think the teeth had just had it, mate.”
“The Reaper” went on to reveal that his dental problems eventually led to the removal of his entire bottom row of teeth. During the procedure, doctors found a large abscess in his gums, which could have worsened his condition if left untreated.
“I’ve never been able to bite down on an apple since I was 19. [My teeth] have always been bad, and I should’ve dealt with them much sooner. They’re gone [now], don’t need them, my life is much better without them. Fun fact though, when they took them out, they found a massive cyst in my jaw, and they think that might have been where infections were coming from for the teeth, so everything happens for a reason.”
Before UFC 308, Whittaker was gaining momentum for a potential third title shot, having strung together two impressive wins over Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa earlier this year. However, after his setback against Chimaev, those championship aspirations have been momentarily sidelined.
UFC CEO Dana White is keeping the hype alive for Khamzat Chimaev, whose meteoric rise in the MMA world continues to turn heads.
At UFC 308, the undefeated star delivered a stunning performance, submitting former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and breaking the Australian’s teeth in the process.
Following this dominant victory, many believe Chimaev is now on a collision course with current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. While White previously hinted that Sean Strickland was next in line for a title shot, Chimaev’s overwhelming display of skill has sparked speculation about a shift in plans.
During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, White praised Chimaev’s performance and hinted at big plans for the fighter.
“He looked incredible. His manager was telling me before the fight that mentally, physically, and emotionally, he’s the best he’s ever been. He said, ‘I’m telling you, wait until you see him on Saturday,’ and he was right. He was dead on.
“This guy’s never looked better, especially against the competition that he had. I’m looking forward to him getting a title fight in ’25. We’ll see how this plays out here, but I want him to fight in the United States. I want him to fight for a title here in the U.S.”
With White’s endorsement and a flawless record, Chimaev’s path to a title fight appears inevitable. Whether it’s Du Plessis or another challenger standing across the Octagon, 2025 could mark the year Chimaev claims UFC gold.
Former two-division ONE champion and UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder would welcome the chance to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first defeat inside the cage.
De Ridder arrived in mixed martial arts’ leading promotion this year, having had his two pieces of ONE Championship gold ripped from his grasp by Anatoly Malykhin and becoming angered by the workings of the Asia-based promotion.
After bouncing back under the UAE Warriors banner in the summer, “The Dutch Knight” put pen to paper on a dream move to the UFC. And his pursuit of adding the organization’s middleweight belt to his trophy cabinet got underway this past weekend at the Apex.
Co-headlining UFC Vegas 100, de Ridder shared the cage with a former training partner and fellow grappling specialist in Gerald Meerschaert. The Breda, Netherlands native emerged victorious from a competitive and grueling affair by way of submission in round three.
De Ridder’s debut performance split opinion in the community, with many already writing off his chances of defeating the top names high up the ladder at 185 pounds.
The former ONE double champ, however, says he’s “ready” for the toughest tests.
During his post-fight press conference on Saturday night, de Ridder reflected on his first foray into the Octagon, admitting that not everything went how he had envisioned pre-fight.
“On the floor, I made a few mistakes, especially in the second round,” de Ridder said. “I shouldn’t have went for those (D’arce chokes), I thought I had them but they weren’t there. There’s a few little tweaks I should make there.
“But I’m happy it happened this way, the fight happened this way. Because normally he’s the guy who lasts longer, he takes some shots and he’s still there and he finishes guys at the end of the second or in the third round,” de Ridder continued. “So it’s cool I was that guy this time.”
Nevertheless, the manner in which the fight played out hasn’t dented his confidence. In fact, de Ridder has maintained his self-belief when it comes to defeating the best contenders, even calling for the opportunity to blemish Khamzat Chimaev’s perfect record.
“Why not Khamzat? That would be a nice matchup, grappling wise, it would be cool,” de Ridder suggested. “Whatever the UFC wants of me, I’ll do it. Just give me a call. I’m ready.”
Welcome to the UFC RdR
Reinier de Ridder gets the Arm Triangle in Round 3 at #UFCVegas100!
American Kickboxing Academy head coach Javier Mendez has high praise for Khamzat Chimaev, placing him in elite company among MMA fighters.
The UFC middleweight contender has quickly gained attention, with many calling for him to skip ahead of Sean Strickland for a title shot against the current champion, Dricus du Plessis. Interestingly, du Plessis himself has expressed interest in facing Chimaev next, suggesting it would be a more exciting matchup.
During an interview with Red Corner MMA, Mendez compared Chimaev’s skill level to that of UFC legends Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, though he acknowledged the distinct styles among them.
“I think they’re the same level, but they’re different [styles]… They’re not the same fighter. They’re just different, just like Khabib and Islam – they’re the same level but they’re different, and Khamzat’s different.”
Earlier this year, du Plessis claimed the middleweight title by defeating Strickland via split decision, setting the stage for a potentially thrilling showdown with Chimaev.
The undefeated contender submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and in many people’s eyes, including Du Plessis’, he’s the most exciting option as the next title challenger.
Many believe that based on some of his previous fights, “Borz” is extremely dangerous in the opening round but his aggression and intensive grappling quickly drains his gas tank. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Du Plessis was asked whether surviving the early stages of a fight with Chimaev would be his focus for a game plan.
He made the point that fighters would often say the same thing about him until he proved in his last two title fights that he can maintain a consistent pace in the championship rounds. The South African champion said that approaching Chimaev with this mindset would put him at a disadvantage from the very start.
“Yeah, I’ll be very careful in that sense. I think a lot of guys made that same mistake. I think Sean Strickland made that mistake with me, maybe even Israel. Saying, ‘Listen, get past round one and two with this guy and he’s going to be tired and that’s where you start gaining,’ but if you have a defensive mindset, you’re going to be on the back foot the whole time, especially with a offensive heavy fighter like Khamzat in the offensive wrestling stage and myself in the offensive everything stage.”
Joe Rogan has voiced his support for Khamzat Chimaev, stating that the top contender deserves the next UFC middleweight title shot.
Chimaev recently scored a decisive first-round victory over Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event, sparking debate among fans about whether he or Sean Strickland should be next in line for the title. While UFC CEO Dana White had previously indicated that Strickland was set to challenge for the belt, Chimaev’s dominant performance has led many fans to speculate that plans might change.
Changing Plans
“Once he gets a hold of you, it’s so dangerous,” Rogan said during his Fight Companion podcast. “He gets a title shot. Not just that (how he beat Whittaker in the first round), but he ran through him. He didn’t get touched. He ran through him and strangled him in the first round. He might be the guy. Think about this at 185: So this guy was killing himself to get to 170. At 185, he’s the fcking man. That guy’s a scary-ass motherfcker – scary. That grappling is next level.”
Strickland, meanwhile, bounced back with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June after losing the title to Du Plessis by split decision at UFC 297.
Khamzat Chimaev presents a challenge to his fellow middleweight contenders that is unlike anything else they have faced in the division. We saw at UFC 294 last year that Kamaru Usman was able to make the fight competitive after weathering the early storm.
The problem is that surviving the opening round against the aggressive grappling of the undefeated mauler is far easier than done. UFC 308 this past weekend was the best example of this to date.
Despite all of his high level experience, former champion Robert Whittaker was unable to stop Chimaev from taking him down early on and submitting him, causing significant damage to his jaw in the process. The difficulty in preparing for someone like “Borz” is that not many people can match his skillset so fighting him comes with an element of battling the unexpected.
This isn’t a concern for the #6-ranked contender at 185-pounds, Brazil’s Caio Borralho. Borralho previously spent some time in Sweden training with Chimaev for his bout against Nate Diaz that was scheduled for UFC 279 in 2022 but ended up with him facing Kevin Holland instead.
He believes that he has somewhat of a head start on figuring out how to beat him compared to the other top names in the division.
“Yes, definitely. This is something that I’m ahead of all the fighters in because I know what to expect, I know what’s coming, I know how Khamzat works on his wrestling, his wall work and all this. I was with him for like one month so I was dealing with this every day, you know, so definitely I’m ahead of all the guys in the division about it.”
Since his submission win over Israel Adesanya in August, it’s looked like Dricus Du Plessis’ next defense of his middleweight title would be against a former foe. Sean Strickland has stuck to his guns that he’s the next in line for the title despite the actions of other contenders.
The former champion was beaten by Du Plessis in January where he lost the belt via a split decision, rebounding with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302. Strickland getting his rematch looked like it was on the cards for early next year until the aftermath of UFC 308 this past weekend.
In the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round to maintain his undefeated record and earn his biggest win to date. As a result, “Borz” has shot up the middleweight rankings, climbing ten places. When you look back at both men’s performances, it’s clear to see who the fans are more excited in seeing challenge Du Plessis next time out.
During a recent interview with Radioraps, the 185-pound king gave his thoughts on the current situation, stating which fight interests him more at this moment in time. Considering that he’s beaten Strickland before and Chimaev is one of the most talked about fighters in the world right now, his decision was an easy one.
“I think we always knew that between Rob and Khamzat, if there was going to be something exceptional that happens, there might be a change in the title fight. We have no clarity on that but as a fan of the sport and as the middleweight champion of the world, that’s a fight that gets me more excited. You know, taking somebody’s 0.
“I’ve beaten Strickland before and I know I’ll beat him again so now getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited. I think the whole world, the fans want to see it. The fans ultimately pay to watch the fights so the fight the world thinks is the best next fight, that’s what I want. So yeah, I think the Khamzat fight is 100% what I want, the UFC is going to do what they’re going to do.”
Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling has always been one of the most feared wrestling skillsets that we have seen inside the Octagon but he took it to whole new levels at UFC 308. In his biggest test to date, the undefeated contender submitted Robert Whittaker in the first round.
Fight fans have known for a long time now that any opponent of Chimaev’s was going to have to weather a rough storm early on because of his aggressive grappling threat. After Kamaru Usman was able to do that and make the fight competitive at UFC 294 last year, there were some doubts hanging over Chimaev’s potential.
He was back to his best in Abu Dhabi and his grappling looked so dominant that it inspired a current UFC champion to keep working harder and learning more. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall gave his thoughts on the fights in a video on his YouTube channel.
Having given his live reactions via a watch-along, Aspinall was massively impressed by Chimaev’s performance and as someone that tries to take lessons from other fighters, the Brit was certainly able to gain something from this display.
“What he does for me as a fighter myself, me as an already established champion, I look at him and I feel like I need to learn more with the grappling. I need to learn more with the attacks. I need to learn more with how to control someone and not let him move and play the game like he does.”
“That was an unbelievable performance and I think, to top it all off, he did it to Robert Whittaker. He went out there and schooled Robert Whittaker which is unbelievable.”
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya reacted like most as Khamzat Chimaev forced a quick tap from Robert Whittaker this past weekend.
After injuries and illness stalled his title plans at 185 pounds following a victory over Kamaru Usman in October 2023, Chimaev made his return 12 months on for the biggest Octagon outing of his career to date.
Many were picking against “Borz” leading up to the UFC 308 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi given the level of competition he was facing. But despite plenty backing former champ Whittaker to make it three wins from three in 2024, Chimaev streamrolled through “The Reaper.”
Having secured his usual fast takedown, Chimaev went to work on the ground and ultimately applied a brutal face crank. To the surprise of most, Whittaker tapped out almost immediately.
During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reacted live to the events that unfolded at Saturday’s PPV in Abu Dhabi, paying close attention as the undefeated Chimaev met his former two-time opponent.
Adesanya willed Whittaker on as he worked to escape Chimaev’s imposing wrestling, expressing shock at the sudden ending that came just over three and a half minutes into the very first round.
“There we go, told you. Straight away. You should know by now he’s going to shoot, but he’s so quick with it,” Adesanya said. “Good job Whitty. … What?! Already? Wow. That’s what I said, first or second round. Something (happened) with the jaw, that was just too quick. … F*ck, dislocated jaw from the pressure, that’s crazy.”
With Adesanya failing in his bid to regain the middleweight title in Perth, Australia this past August, he likely won’t be sharing the cage with Chimaev anytime soon.
Instead, “Borz” has his sights on Dricus Du Plessis, who won the belt from Sean Strickland at the start of 2024 before adding a defense to his reign at “The Last Stylebender’s” expense.
He wants the belt 🗣@KChimaev calls for a title shot after his incredible win at #UFC308 🐺
For a lot of people, Khamzat Chimaev reminded them why he was once the talk of the MMA world with his performance this past weekend at UFC 308. The undefeated contender was able to submit Robert Whittaker in the first round in Abu Dhabi.
Not only has the former middleweight champion only lost to the absolute best at 185-pounds, no one has been able to tear right through him like that. After Chimaev secured an early takedown, he maintained control of the fight until applying a submission that instantly forced his opponent to tap after the damage that was done to his jaw.
The question then became whether this was enough for him to leapfrog over Sean Strickland and be the next man to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the title. Strickland has been very clear that he’s the next in line after his split decision loss to Du Plessis in January and bounce back win over Paulo Costa.
Though most appear to be leaning towards Chimaev after that incredibly impressive performance, Josh Thomson doesn’t think that “Borz” deserves the next shot.
The former UFC fighter said during a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast that in his opinion, Chimaev hasn’t beaten enough legitimate middleweights to justify this. His last win over Kamaru Usman did take place at middleweight despite Usman moving up to the weight class on short notice.
Chimaev’s only other middleweight wins are over John Phillips on his UFC debut and Gerald Meerschaert who he stopped in under 20 seconds.
“He’s literally beat a bunch of 70 pounders but was supposed to be fighting at 85 and now, he’s not getting a title shot at 170, he’s getting a title shot at 185, it doesn’t make sense to me. Like I’m not saying that he’s not skilled and I’m also saying that in that fight with Gilbert Burns, he was exhausted and he was also exhausted in the Kamaru Usman fight, who is a 170 pounder. So look, I’m not taking away what he did today because what he did today spoke for itself, absolutely fantastic performance but we’ve seen this before where he’s dominated round one like this.”
