Khamzat Chimaev broke his silence after suffering the first defeat of his professional MMA career against Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event on Saturday night. Chimaev lost the middleweight title in a close split-decision bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Chechen fighter left the Octagon immediately after the result and skipped the usual post-fight interview, leaving fans curious about his next move inside the UFC.Although Chimaev stayed quiet right after the fight, he later posted short messages on social media directed at Strickland. His posts hinted that another meeting between the two fighters could happen in the future. UFC president Dana White also revealed after the event that Chimaev informed him about his desire to leave the middleweight division and move up to light heavyweight following the difficult loss.
Khamzat Chimaev considers move to light heavyweight after UFC 328 defeat
The UFC 328 main event was one of the toughest fights of Khanzat Chimaev’s career. Sean Strickland managed to edge out the defending champion after five hard-fought rounds. Despite the disappointment, Chimaev appeared calm on social media and suggested that he could face Strickland again someday. In his latest tweet, he signaled that he would be ready whenever Strickland wanted to compete again. He wrote, “Let me know when you are ready @SStricklandMMA”. Chimaev and Strickland were once training partners, which has added more intrigue to their rivalry. While many fans expect the UFC to book a rematch because of the narrow decision, Dana White indicated that Chimaev may be looking at a completely different future.Speaking after the event, White explained that Chimaev approached him shortly after the fight and made it clear that he no longer wanted to compete at middleweight. According to White, the fighter expressed strong interest in moving to the 205-pound division instead.The difficult weight cut before UFC 328 may have influenced that decision. Chimaev has previously competed at welterweight but has often spoken about the physical challenges of making lower weight limits. Over the past year, he has also mentioned possible fights against former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.For now, Chimaev’s next step remains uncertain. However, White admitted that the idea of seeing the unbeaten star test himself in a heavier division sounds exciting for the UFC and its fans.
