- Oct 16, 2026
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Khamzat Chimaev has pledged to hunt down Sean Strickland regardless of division, following his first professional defeat in May.
Strickland captured the middleweight championship via split decision at UFC 328, handing Chimaev his initial MMA loss. Chimaev immediately campaigned for a rematch, but the UFC scheduled Nassourdine Imavov as Strickland's first title defense instead.
Strickland has since clashed with the promotion over compensation, threatening to relinquish the belt and shift to light heavyweight to fulfill his contract. Chimaev said he would follow Strickland to 205 pounds or even heavyweight if necessary. "This guy is not going to run from me," he told MMA Fighting's Mike Heck. Chimaev added that a second meeting would command substantial compensation.
The timing of Strickland's initial defense remains unresolved, with speculation pointing to late 2026 or early 2027 now in doubt. Chimaev indicated he hopes to return to competition quickly and seeks to face either Strickland or Imavov.
Source: MMA Fighting - Thu Oct 22, 5:00 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).