Chimaev Vows to Follow Strickland Up to 205 or Heavyweight

Khamzat Chimaev says a move up in weight will not keep Sean Strickland away from him. Speaking with MMA Fighting's Mike Heck, Chimaev said he would follow the middleweight champion to light heavyweight, and on to heavyweight if it came to that, to get the rematch he wants.

“If he goes up to 205, I’ll go after him and take his head,” Chimaev said. “I go straight after [him]. If he goes higher weight, I’ll go to heavyweight. This guy is not going to run from me.”

The two met at UFC 328 in May, where Strickland took the middleweight title by split decision. It was the first defeat of Chimaev's MMA career, and he pushed for an immediate second fight. Over the following months, though, Nassourdine Imavov emerged as the first challenger in line for the new champion.

That plan has since hit a snag. Strickland is now feuding with the UFC over pay and has said that if the issue is not settled, he would rather vacate the belt and move to light heavyweight so he can fight out his contract quickly.

Chimaev made no secret of why the rematch matters to him. “They’re gonna pay good for our fight,” he said. “That’s why I go after [him]. It’s a big check.”

The UFC was rumored to be targeting Strickland's first title defense for the end of the year or early 2027. Whether he defends the belt at all is now an open question.

Chimaev, for his part, wants the situation resolved so he can return soon, and says he has been training and asking for a fight. “I don’t know what’s going on with him and Imavov and those guys,” he said. “If they fight, they fight. If they don’t fight, I want to fight with some of them.”

Source: MMA Fighting