UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will go under the knife before targeting his return to the Octagon next year.
After defeating Dricus du Plessis earlier this year at UFC 319, UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is eying the top contenders as his title reign kicks off. Thereās no shortage of potential opponents for Chimaevās first fight as champion, including Nassourdine Imavov and surging star Anthony Hernandez.
Chimaev, who remains unbeaten in his professional MMA career, put on a dominant performance against Du Plessis to win the UFC middleweight title. The fight put an abrupt end to Du Plessisās title reign and stopped his pursuit of middleweight GOAT status.
Since UFC 319, Chimaev has been linked to several potential names for his first middleweight title defense, including Imavov and Hernandez. But the middleweight title picture may have to continue without Chimaev after the champ suffered an injury shortly after his title victory.
Khamzat Chimaev aiming for mid-2026 return for first UFC title defense
In a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev revealed a minor injury that has postponed his timeline for his first title defense.
āMy return? After Ramadan. Right now I have a small operation on my foot, Iāll step away from training for a few weeks, heal it.
āSo weāll prepare [for a fight] after Ramadan. Whoever they give me, thatās who Iāll face.ā
Ramadan will wrap up in March, meaning Chimaevās return timeline is tentatively targeted for sometime between May and July of next year. This allows the divisionās top contenders to determine Chimaevās next opponent, including a potential showdown between Hernandez and former middleweight champ Sean Strickland.
It doesnāt sound like Chimaevās injury may lead to the UFC matchmakers booking an interim middleweight title fight amid his absence from competition. In the meantime, Chimaev will continue to watch from the sidelines as a No. 1 contender emerges.
He will be the new Cain. Fighting 3 times in 2 and a half years. The UFC should strip people for being off for more than a year, no excuses.
I think Imavov might be the best test for hazmat
Broās mouth used to be a vagina thatās why it looks all fucked up.
What a joke, always hurt
Khamzat Chimaev wants nothing more than to become UFC middleweight champion again, but he understands itās unlikely heāll get that next shot at the belt.
So while heās waiting, Chimaev is preparing to stay busy working with RAF, which includes his showdown against old foe Gilbert Burns on Saturday in Miami, and healing up some nagging injuries. While Chimaevās health has been a huge cause for concern in the past, the Chechen mauler promises that if he needs time off now to deal with those injuries, he wonāt be gone very long.
āI want to fight,ā Chimaev told MMA Fighting on Thursday. āThatās why I want to fight. Itās not crazy big injuries where you need to be off from sparring. Itās just my hands. I punch hard so I always have problems with my hands and I have to fix it.