Khamzat Chimaev Names His Next Opponent for First Middleweight Title Defense
Khamzat Chimaev has made his intentions clear about who he’ll face in his first middleweight title defense. Taking to Twitter, the undefeated champion called out Nassourdine Imavov.
Khamzat Chimaev’s Next Opponent Named
Sending a message that carries confidence and a pointed jab at the French contender’s wrestling. “See you after Ramadan @imavov1 You have time work on your wrestling Bratishka,” Chimaev posted, with the fight now plannedfor 2026.
The announcement comes as Chimaev revealed a delay in his return timeline due to a foot operation. Currently in Doha, Qatar, the champion told Adam Zubayraev that he’ll be stepping back from training for a few weeks before undergoing the minor surgical procedure. Ramadan, which runs from February 17 through March 19 in 2026, will further postpone his comeback, as Chimaev follows his faith and chooses not to compete during the sacred month. This means his first title defense will likely occur sometime in April 2026 or later, depending on UFC scheduling.
Imavov has been building his case for a shot at the belt throughout 2025. In February, the Frenchman delivered one of the year’s most shocking upsets when he knocked out Israel Adesanya just 30 seconds into the second round in Saudi Arabia. Adesanya, despite his struggles, was still a former champion and carried significant credentials walking into the bout. Imavov caught him switching stances, landing a right hand followed by a left that sent Adesanya crashing to the mat. The finish came so quickly that the crowd barely registered what had happened.
Seven months later, Imavov faced another test of his credentials when he met Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Paris on September 6. Borralho entered the bout on a ten-year unbeaten streak, making him arguably the most impressive name available for Imavov to face at that moment. The Frenchman controlled all five rounds, using razor-sharp striking and footwork to keep Borralho at bay while successfully defending all five of his opponent’s takedown attempts.
The judges scored it 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 in Imavov’s favor. Immediately after the victory, standing in front of his home crowd, Imavov made his case heard. “I am next,” he declared, pointing to Chimaev‘s belt. His five-fight winning streak, combined with victories over two former champions, positioned him as the division’s top contender.
Chimaev’s path to the title showed why he remains undefeated at 15-0 overall and 9-0 in the UFC. At UFC 319 in August, he faced defending middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, a fighter who held significant credentials himself. From the opening eight seconds, Chimaev took du Plessis down and never let him up, maintaining control for nearly 22 minutes across five rounds.
His grappling dominance was so complete that du Plessis couldn’t mount any meaningful offense or escape attempts. Chimaev’s striking accuracy sits at 58 percent while his takedown accuracy reaches 46 percent, and he maintains a perfect 100 percent takedown defense record throughout his career.
In his first four UFC fights, he absorbed just one significant strike across four complete fights, a statistic so extreme it’s difficult to comprehend in professional combat sports.
The announcement ends questions about who will be Chimaev’s first challenger, though it leaves significant uncertainty about the exact date and event. Both fighters now wait through the end of 2025 and into early 2026, with April marking a realistic target for the middleweight championship bout.
