Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
There’s a reason this loss will sting more than it should for Khamzat Chimaev. He took a gamble, and it did not pay off. But that doesn’t mean the MMA fandom owes him any sympathy, and they made sure to let him know as much.
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During the post-fight broadcast, Joe Rogan revealed that the original plan was for Chimaev to move up and fight Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title. So, he bulked up for the same. But when those plans changed, he was staring at the Strickland fight, and a 45 lbs weight cut.
His friend and teammate Arman Tsarukyan said on camera that Chimaev cut about 46 lbs for this bout. ‘Borz’ looked depleted on the scale, a sight that made many pros switch their picks for the UFC 328 main event.
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So, more than losing his ‘0,’ Chimaev must hate the biggest factor that contributed to that loss. He claims he ragdolled Strickland in training all those years ago. Without the drastic weight cut, could he have done the same last night? He believes so, and he wants to prove it.
“Let me know when you are ready [Sean Strickland],” Chimaev wrote on X.
The pair settled their differences after the fight. Strickland even acknowledged that he was just trying to promote the fight with his no-holds-barred trash talk. But now that the dust has settled, Chimaev has only one thing on his mind—a rematch to reclaim what he lost.
Considering how close the fight was, a rematch isn’t out of the realm of possibility. However, when that may happen remains to be seen. Not to mention, UFC CEO Dana White has told reporters that Chimaev plans to move to light heavyweight after his maiden loss. White said that Chimaev told him as much on his way back to the locker room.
The weight cut this time around for ‘Borz’ appeared to be difficult, so going to 205 pounds is the logical next step. He has previously claimed that he wants to move to light heavyweight to fight Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.
However, Khamzat Chimaev often has long bouts of inactivity between his fights, which makes their rematch a distant affair. In the meantime, contenders like Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen are also vying for a title shot, which will keep the new champ busy.
Right after becoming a two-time middleweight champion, Sean Strickland knew who he wanted next. ‘Tarzan’ made it clear that rankings should decide title shots, not popularity or hype.
Let me know when you are ready @SStricklandMMA
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) May 11, 2026
“I truly believe in UFC rankings,” Strickland told reporters. “I think they f—king matter. I hate when guys jump it. So if that’s who the UFC [want]. If that’s the rankings. That’s who it is. Let’s go.”
However, he is banged up from his second title win and wants time to recover. Strickland also wants to be there for his friend and training partner, Alex Pereira, who will be fighting for a third UFC belt next month at UFC Freedom 250. So, we might not see the two-time middleweight champion until the late third or the fourth quarter of the year.
In any case, when fans discovered Chimaev’s plea for a rematch, they weren’t kind.
Fans deny Khamzat Chimaev a rematch against Sean Strickland
Since the tweet, people have started mocking the former champion. One user posted: “He was ready last night, apparently you weren’t.” Chimaev’s usual dominance on the ground was surprisingly absent after the first round, and it was clear that he was in trouble.
Another user held nothing back: “Dude got hit so hard he doesn’t realize the fight already happened.” Chimaev previously tweeted, “See you again soon,” right after his loss, and he followed up with another callout not too soon after. Restless or concussed?
Even the next user pointed toward memory loss. “Seems your head hasn’t recovered from the punches you received, bro,” they wrote.
Someone else decided to remind Chimaev that he lost. “Dude, you lost… ready for what? That was last night,” the fan noted. But UFC might favor a more entertaining fighter with the belt—there’s a possibility Chimaev may have to wait much longer.
The next user was against a rematch at all costs. “To do what exactly? Bear Hug all match?” the user asked. If the rematch happens, Khamzat Chimaev will look to focus on his wrestling more and try to win the fight on the ground.
That being said, Khamzat Chimaev has fallen victim to the middleweight curse, where all champions on a nine-fight win streak have lost their next fight. But can Chimaev bounce back? Will he get a rematch?
Written by
Edited by
Yeswanth Praveen