Khamzat Chimaev has called for an immediate rematch with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, insisting he deserved to retain his title following their closely contested bout at UFC 328 in May.
Chimaev suffered the first defeat of his professional MMA career when Strickland claimed a split-decision victory to capture the 185-pound championship. Two judges scored the contest 48-47 in Strickland’s favour, while the third awarded Chimaev the same score. The Chechen fighter believes his forward pressure and heavier strikes should have been enough to secure the victory.
“I won the match but they took my belt,” said Chimaev, speaking to ESPN. “I’m not a judge, but I’ve never seen the guy who is running backwards win the fight. First time in the history of UFC you see the guy who is running backwards wins the belt.”
Chimaev also addressed Strickland’s recent complaints regarding UFC fighter pay, claiming he earned five times as much as the American for their championship encounter. Strickland has suggested he could pursue a boxing match against Jake Paul after leaving the UFC, although UFC CEO Dana White has stated that the middleweight champion signed a new contract in May. “He should accept the fight against me,” said Chimaev. “He’ll try to go for other fights and he’s crying about money. If he needs the money, he has to fight me.”
Chimaev, who revealed he endured a difficult weight cut ahead of UFC 328 after previously considering a move to light heavyweight, remains focused on regaining the middleweight championship. The 15-1 fighter is scheduled to face former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in a wrestling match at RAF on Friday, with another appearance against Colby Covington booked for November. “First, I want to get my belt back,” said Chimaev. “That’s the number one, for me, is to get the belt back. After that, we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Chimaev has competed regularly in freestyle wrestling throughout 2026, with his upcoming appearance against Lawler set to mark his fourth RAF contest of the year. Despite his continued involvement in wrestling and previous interest in competing at 205 pounds, the former middleweight champion has made clear that reclaiming the UFC title remains his immediate priority.
