Khamzat Chimaev isn’t fully on board with defending his UFC middleweight title against top contender Nassourdine Imavov. Borz” captured the 185-pound belt with a dominant unanimous-decision win over former champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 this past August.
However, attention quickly shifted to the question of which contender would get the first shot at Chimaev, with the division packed with legitimate challengers. As Brendan Allen halted Reinier de Ridder’s four-fight surge with a fourth-round TKO at UFC Vancouver in October, Imavov strengthened his case with a unanimous decision win over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris in September, while former titleholder Sean Strickland is set to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February 2026.