Chimaev Narrows Middleweight Callout List

Khamzat Chimaev says his list of potential opponents has shrunk after learning that both Caio Borralho and Dricus du Plessis are injured, leaving Nassourdine Imavov or a rematch with Sean Strickland as his likely next options.

Chimaev hasn't fought since losing the middleweight title to Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 in May, a fight he entered as a heavy favorite. He'd initially called out four top contenders — Strickland, du Plessis, Imavov and Borralho — with Borralho proposing a fight at UFC 334 on November 14 before the injury news emerged.

Chimaev beat du Plessis to win the title in 2025, and despite past reports of interest in moving up to heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight, his current list of targets suggests he plans to stay at 185 for now.