The Khamzat Chimaev next fight news should come in the next few months. Until then, we look at three opponent options for the new middleweight champ and take a look back at his dominant win at UFC 319.
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Chimaev returned to the Octagon in August at UFC 319. In his first UFC title fight, the Chechen was as dominant as he's ever been as he cruised to a unanimous decision win over Dricus Du Plessis. In his first title defense, he is likely to face either Sean Strickland, Nassourdine Imavov, or Reinier de Ridder.
Tarzan:The former middleweight champ has been claiming for months that he got the better of Chimaev in previous training sessions. The new champ may be interested in proving him wrong in his first title defense.
Sniper:Of the various contenders, Imavov is probably the most deserving. He has won four straight, with his last being a TKO win over division legend Israel Adesanya earlier this year.
RDR:The former ONE two-division champion has been impressive in his first four UFC fights. He would be a very intriguing option since his grappling and clinch game would be a real test for Chimaev.
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
"Borz" entered his UFC 319 title fight as a heavy favorite, and he proved why the odds makers were right with a dominant performance over former champ Du Plessis.
What happened?From the start until the final minutes of their five-round title fight, DDP had no answer for Chimaev's outstanding wrestling. Getting taken down every round and rarely being able to escape his opponent's grasp. At two points, Chimaev was able to get him into a crucifix position and pummel his face for minutes.
The fallout:The Chimaev era has officially begun. While some fans and fighters complained and called the victory boring, the new king of middleweight has a style that has become the biggest puzzle in the division.
What's next?Chances are, Chimaev will face Imavov in his first defense as the 185-pound champion.
The Chechen Crusher: Over his career inside the MMA world, leader Khamzat Chimaev has become one of the most popular stars in the industry and a legitimate needle mover. He has done that by being an unstoppable force that has met little resistance from some high-level competition inside the Octagon.
Khamzat Chimaev record:14-0 (6 knockouts, 6 submissions)
How tall is Khamzat Chimaev?:6-foot-2
Khamzat Chimaev last fight:Submission win over Robert Whittaker
Chiamev is 9-0 inside the Octagon and has scored victories over former champions and future hall-of-famers Robert Whittaker and Kamaru Usman.
"Borz" became a favorite of his new boss by being down for a fight anytime and anywhere. His first four matchups in the Octagon were split between the welterweight and middleweight divisions. And his first two fights in the promotion also took place just 10 days apart.
The Russian McGregor:Trash talk and callouts on social media are the name of the game in the UFC today. And despite English not being his first language, Chimaev has become quite adept at using his Twitter fingers.
The native of Russia, by way of Sweden, has become an avid user of his Twitter account, using it to challenge many of the top fighters in the UFC welterweight division — including Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington.
During a 2021 rampage of tweets, Chimaev drew attention by seeking out MMA fights with retired UFC legends Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre and a wrestling match with former two-division champion Daniel Cormier. Only Cormier answered, and the former Olympian found the challenge quite entertaining.
Chimaev has also made headlines in training videos. Dominating world-class talents like Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov and UFC veteran Darren Till.
The UFC star does not talk much about his personal life. However, there have been reports that he was married in May of 2022. Furthermore, following his win over Kamaru Usman, he revealed that he now has an infant child who has become one of his new motivations in life.
The measure of a fighter's success is the dollars and cents they stack up from a career of professional fisticuffs. It is still early days for Chimaev, but his net worth is estimated to be around $3 million.
Khamzat Chimaev is a man of many talents, and that includes speaking multiple languages. He learned Russian and Chechen while growing up in the Republic of Chechnya. He eventually moved to Sweden, and there he learned both Swedish and English.
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