Khamzat Chimaev shockingly misplaced his undefeated file and his UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 328 on Might ninth when he was outpointed by brash American underdog Sean Strickland in Newark. The Chechen-born sensation had been on a tear all through his stint at 185 kilos, dominating each Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis to say the title. Nonetheless, a brutal 40-plus-pound weight lower coupled with Strickland’s extremely underrated takedown protection would spell the top of Borz’s reign as champion in his first title protection.
On-line betting websites couldn’t see something apart from a Chimaev victory on battle evening. The Bovada UFC betting odds when the 2 males made their method to the cage listed the champion because the clear -500 favourite, with the challenger a mighty +410 underdog. However after surviving the primary spherical onslaught, Strickland would take cost of the battle, profitable rounds two and three earlier than edging the fifth on two judges’ scorecards to safe a razor-thin cut up determination victory.
Chimaev’s Impending Transfer to Mild Heavyweight
Within the instant aftermath of the stunning upset, UFC head honcho Dana White stated in his press convention that Chimaev had knowledgeable him he not needed to compete at middleweight and can be shifting as much as gentle heavyweight, with that life-sapping weight lower clearly the explanation. It’s scarcely plausible that 4 years in the past, Khamzat was campaigning at welterweight and 170 kilos. Quick ahead to now, and he might nicely be set to maneuver as much as 205.
If his X — previously referred to as Twitter — posts are something to go by, Chimaev could not but be executed with middleweight. He has tagged Strickland in a submit since shedding his championship, saying, “let me know if you end up prepared.” That means an instantaneous rematch isn’t out of the query. However presuming what White stated to the press submit UFC 328 is true, who can be a perfect opponent for Chimaev in his gentle heavyweight debut? Listed here are three attainable routes that the UFC might take.
AND NEWWWWWW +410 ✅
SEAN STRICKLAND IS THE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP #UFC328 https://t.co/ivBUbTR0Rn
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) Might 10, 2026
Carlos Ulberg
When Ilia Topuria vacated his featherweight championship to maneuver as much as light-weight in 2025, he was awarded an instantaneous title shot. The identical was the case for 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev, who additionally vacated his strap and was rewarded with an on the spot crack on the welterweight gold. Alex Pereira will quickly obtain a shot on the interim heavyweight title after vacating his gentle heavyweight championship. Wouldn’t it be the wildest proposition for Chimaev to be afforded the identical remedy?
Carlos Ulberg is the newly minted gentle heavyweight champion. He viciously knocked out Jiří Procházka within the first spherical of the pair’s conflict for the vacant 205-pound title, and he did so on one leg after struggling an damage within the opening seconds of the competition. If Chimaev is to be given an instantaneous title shot in his transfer up in weight, then the Kiwi champion is almost certainly to be his first opponent within the division.
After all, there’s a large asterisk subsequent to this principle. Every of Topuria, Makhachev, and Pereira have been the champions of their respective divisions after they vacated their belts and moved as much as a heavier division. Chimaev, in fact, is not the middleweight king after being dethroned by Strickland, and as such, the UFC could also be unwilling to afford Borz the identical remedy as these three superstars.
Jiří Procházka
If the rumor mill is to be believed, the explanation Chimaev had such a monstrous weight lower forward of the Strickland battle was that he was already making ready for a light-weight heavyweight debut in opposition to Jiří Procházka. He had bulked up in a bid to maneuver to 205, and the UFC modified plans on the final minute and pivoted to a Chimaev protection in opposition to Strickland. Now, might that battle in opposition to Procházka lastly come to fruition?
The Czech sensation will surely be a stable gentle heavyweight debut for Chimaev. At present ranked at quantity three within the division and contemporary off a title defeat to the champion Ulberg, victory over Procházka would probably safe Borz a spot as primary contender to the title. “Denisa” has misplaced every of his final three title challenges, twice to Alex Pereira and now once more to Ulberg, and he has very a lot change into considerably of a gatekeeper within the division.
He appears to be like to be a tailored opponent for the Chechen, who would probably wrestle his method to a dominant victory. Ought to an instantaneous title shot not be within the offing, Procházka appears to be like to be the right opponent.
Paulo Costa
Ought to Chimaev be on the lookout for considerably of a lower-ranked opponent, then quantity seven-ranked Paulo Costa might nicely be an choice. The loudmouth Brazilian has repeatedly taken pictures at Chimaev within the media, repeatedly saying how he desires to “harm” the Chechen, and he might nicely get his probability.
Costa just lately knocked out Azamat Murzakanov in his gentle heavyweight debut, a powerful win that catapulted him to quantity seven on the planet. A conflict between him and Chimaev will surely garner the headlines, and the winner would probably then marketing campaign for a title shot.
