Well, we can’t say we didn’t see it coming. In his Octagon interview at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev said, “Dana [White], send my money, brother. I am waiting for that more than that sh-t belt.” It looks like Chimaev is coming through on his promise.

Back in December last year, ‘Borz’ had declared his intention to move up in weight after defending his middleweight title once. He wanted bigger opponents, bigger fights, and more zeroes on his paychecks. Now, barely two months away from Chimaev’s first title defense, Israel Adesanya has dropped a strong hint that the Chechen’s middleweight future might be nearing its end.

“Apparently, Chimaev is going,” Adesanya said during the UFC Fight Night presser. “I found out yesterday he might be moving up.”

The statement quickly caught attention, considering ‘Borz’ is scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in May. If the champion is seriously considering moving to light heavyweight, the upcoming fight could be his final appearance at 185 lbs.

This claim follows what Daniel Cormier said a while ago, that Chimaev has gotten too big for his division. This has been a pattern with ‘Borz’, where his inability to cut weight forces him to move up in weight. His infamous weight miss at UFC 279 (7.5 lbs) marked the end of his welterweight run. Now, he is allegedly moving up to light heavyweight after teasing a move back down to 170 lbs for a superfight with Islam Makhachev.

The timing of the claim is equally interesting, as Israel Adesanya prepares to return to the Octagon after more than a year away. ‘The Last Stylebender’ will go one-on-one against Joe Pyfer this weekend in Seattle, hoping to end a three-fight losing streak that began after he lost the crown. While he is not currently in the title picture, any change at the top of the division could allow him to claw his way back into contention.

Khamzat Chimaev won the middleweight title last year with a convincing victory over Dricus du Plessis. However, soon after becoming champion, the internet was abuzz with rumors that he may eventually move up in weight, particularly given his size and previous issues with weight cuts in his career. Now, Adesanya’s latest comment has only added more fuel to those rumors.

If the move occurs, the outcome of UFC 328 becomes even more crucial. A win for Khamzat Chimaev might result in him vacating the title and chasing a second light heavyweight belt, while a loss would result in Sean Strickland taking the title instead. If Adesanya can get back to winning ways, Strickland beating Chimaev opens the door to a rematch after ‘Tarzan’ delivered a massive upset at UFC 293 by dethroning ‘The Last Stylebender.’

In any case, Israel Adesanya’s leak signals that the middleweight division is about to undergo a massive shake-up pretty soon. And the UFC 328 title fight becomes one that surely decides the entire fate of the division. Chimaev seems to be the smart pick, but if ‘Izzy’ is to be believed, you can’t count Sean Strickland out.

Israel Adesanya breaks down Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev

As mentioned earlier, Israel Adesanya believes the UFC 328 title fight might determine the future of the middleweight division, particularly if Khamzat Chimaev moves up with or without the title. As a result, the former champion is closely watching the matchup and isn’t convinced that the outcome will be one-sided. ‘Izzy,’ who has fought Sean Strickland before, understands the challenger’s ability to pull off another upset.

“I think he (Strickland) can (beat Chimaev) if it goes to the later rounds and he doesn’t get taken down,” Adesanya said in a recent interview with Paramount. “But again, Chimaev is a bat out of hell. He’s a guy who comes aggressively straight away. Strickland can match that probably, but we’ll see.”

He also pointed out that the two have trained together before, which makes the fight harder to predict.

“And they’ve trained together, so there’s probably something that happened in the gym that we are not privy to,” he added. “That will be interesting. I look forward to watching it.”

With both fighters familiar with each other’s styles, the outcome may not be as obvious as it looks, and if Khamzat Chimaev truly plans to change divisions, the results at UFC 328 might determine what happens next at middleweight. Will we get a new champion or see a new title fight getting booked if ‘Borz’ decides to vacate?