Khamzat Chimaev wants to go up another weight class against an all-too familiar face.
An Unstoppable Run (So Far)
Stepping into the Octagon in 2020, ‘Borz’ has done some great work in the welterweight and middleweight divisions. Chimaev has beaten everybody the UFC has put in front of him, including Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland and even former champion Kamaru Usman, with that win coming at 185.
Following his latest win over Usman at UFC 294, Chimaev earned himself a ranking inside the middleweight top 10. But, apparently that’s not good enough for a title shot against Sean Strickland as he was passed up by top contender Dricus Du Plessis.
Chimaev Asks Dana White For A Favor
Sitting on the sidelines with a hand injury, Chimaev is willing to put his dreams of middleweight gold on hold. The Chechen fighter has called for a fight with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira rather than the winner of Strickland vs. Du Plessis in January.
“@danawhite let me finish him,” Chimaev wrote to the UFC CEO on X.
@danawhite let me finish him 🤝 pic.twitter.com/6JnJrgv2jR
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) November 20, 2023
Chimaev vs. Pereira
As you may already know, this isn’t the first time Chimaev has chased a fight with Pereira (nor is it his last). He truly believes his wrestling abilities will be no match for the prolific striker.
When ‘Poatan’ dethroned Israel Adesanya to become the middleweight champion last year, Chimaev also called him out then, despite being a welterweight contender at the time.
History repeats itself once again as Pereira and Chimaev are still a division away. But, that being said, weight classes have never stopped the outspoken Chimaev from shouting for the fights he wants.
Perhaps though, maybe we’ll see a fight between Chimaev and Pereira one day after all of the titular smoke has cleared.
