Khamzat Chimaev said he plans to pursue a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, with the timing still unclear.
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Khamzat Chimaev has not announced when he will return to the Octagon, saying the wait is tied to current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
Chimaev and Strickland fought in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, on May 9, 2026, where Strickland defeated Chimaev by split decision to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion and to end Chimaev’s title reign.
Since that fight, the pair have traded comments publicly as Strickland has remained in a UFC contract holdout, with remarks attributed in the supplied report to UFC CEO Dana White stating that a new contract was signed in the spring.
The supplied report says a fight between Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov had been expected before the end of the year, but it was delayed after the UFC announced the main and co-main events for UFC 335.
UFC 335 is set to take place in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena, according to the supplied report.
Chimaev recently said the timing, location, and weight do not matter for the rematch, describing it as the fight he wants back, and adding, “We will make the matchup. Don’t worry. Light heavyweight, heavyweight, wherever he goes, we go after him. I’m the hunter. He’s a chicken running away.”
The supplied report also notes that it is unclear whether a Chimaev–Strickland rematch will happen, and that the UFC has not provided details on what could come next for the middleweight division as its Q1 event schedule remains in development.
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