Rumors are swirling around UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and a potential move up to the light heavyweight division.
Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) recently posted a cryptic message reading “205 pounds” on social media. The post immediately ignited speculation that "Borz" could be eyeing a showdown with current light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC).
Since signing with the UFC back in 2020, Chimaev has competed primarily at welterweight, though he experienced well-documented difficulties making the 170-pound limit on multiple occasions. In recent outings, however, he has settled into the middleweight division. He fought at 185 pounds in his last three appearances, beginning with victories over Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker before going on to defeat Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last August to capture the middleweight championship.
Despite just claiming gold at 185 pounds, Chimaev has openly pursued a potential super fight against Pereira. The two champions have exchanged verbal jabs across social media platforms in recent months, further fueling anticipation among fans eager to see a champion-versus-champion clash.
UFC president Dana White addressed the growing speculation following UFC Houston on Saturday. While he did not rule out the possibility of Chimaev eventually moving up, White made it clear that he would prefer to see the middleweight champion defend his newly won title first.
“I'd like to see him defend his title at a weight class first,” White told reporters. “Yeah, I'd like to see him defend his title before he talks about jumping around from weight class to weight class. You're going to keep going up in weight divisions without defending? Yeah, I'd rather see him defend.”
For now, it appears the UFC brass is prioritizing stability at middleweight before entertaining the possibility of Chimaev chasing history at 205 pounds.
