The former middleweight champion has spent the summer publicly weighing his options after losing the belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in May. That question is now settled.

“Until we break everybody at 185, I’m not going anywhere,” Chimaev said in comments to the Russian outlet Ushatayka that surfaced on Wednesday and were reported by Yahoo Sports.

The line closes a loop that has been open since the split-decision defeat on May 9. In the days after that fight he had told UFC president Dana White he was done at middleweight and ready to move up, then spent late summer calling out most of the top of the 185-pound division on social media instead.

Chimaev shrugs off being skipped

Recent reports say Strickland’s first defense of his second reign will go to Nassourdine Imavov rather than an immediate Chimaev rematch. Chimaev’s answer to being skipped was flat.

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“No, there’s no surprise. How long has Imavov been waiting now? Probably around two years. He’s already the contender. Whoever wins, we’ll take him.”

Imavov is ranked No. 3 in the UFC’s middleweight division with a 17-4 record. His climb into contention has come off a five-fight unbeaten run that includes a second-round knockout of former champion Israel Adesanya in February 2025 and a five-round decision over Caio Borralho in September 2025. The French fighter has said UFC matchmakers already told him his next appearance would be for the belt regardless of what Chimaev did.

Strickland targets a December return

Strickland reclaimed the belt at UFC 328 by scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 47-48, becoming a two-time middleweight champion. He came out of the fight with a damaged right shoulder that limited his output in the closing rounds.

“We’re looking at a December return. Just can’t become a fat POS while I heal up haha,” Strickland wrote in June while confirming his recovery timeline. The UFC has not announced a date, opponent or venue for that appearance.

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First, a grappling date with Woodley in Moscow

Before the middleweight picture clarifies, Chimaev has a very different assignment. He is scheduled to wrestle former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow on Saturday, a Russian grappling event that sits outside his UFC deal but keeps him active.

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