Sean Strickland Calls Out Khamzat Chimaev as Nassourdine Imavov’s UFC Title Shot Hangs in the Balance
Support Us By Sharing!
Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev have renewed their rivalry, but should the UFC book an immediate rematch or move forward with Nassourdine Imavov?
Sean Strickland has not received medical clearance to return to the Octagon, but the UFC middleweight champion has already started a fight over who should stand across from him when he does.
Strickland recently provided an update on the shoulder injury that has kept his immediate future uncertain. Instead of simply discussing his recovery, however, he also responded to former champion Khamzat Chimaev and opened the door to an immediate rematch.
That was all Chimaev needed to restart one of the UFC’s loudest current rivalries.
The problem is that Nassourdine Imavov has spent months positioning himself as the division’s rightful title challenger. Imavov says the UFC already told him that his next appearance would be for the middleweight championship.
Now, one social-media exchange could potentially change everything.
Sean Strickland Provides an Update on His UFC Return
Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026.
The official scorecards read 48-47, 48-47 and 47-48 in Strickland’s favor, giving him the championship for a second time and handing Chimaev the first professional defeat of his MMA career. It was a competitive five-round fight that immediately created demand for a second meeting.
Strickland also entered the fight with a damaged shoulder. According to a report from MMA Mania, he suffered a Grade 1 AC joint separation while sparring with Johnny Eblen four days before UFC 328.
The champion’s latest update suggests that the shoulder is improving, although he still needs additional recovery time.
“Shoulder is getting solid, need a little longer,” Strickland wrote in a post on X.
Strickland did not announce a return date or confirm that the UFC had offered him an opponent. He did, however, directly address Chimaev’s continued demands for another opportunity and suggested that he was willing to hand the former champion a second loss.
That is not an official fight announcement. It is still enough to place the entire middleweight division on alert.
Why Khamzat Chimaev Wants the Immediate Rematch
Chimaev has a reasonable argument for another fight with Strickland.
Their first meeting was decided by a single round on all three scorecards. Chimaev also entered UFC 328 as the defending champion and left without recording a successful title defense.
Under those circumstances, the UFC could justify booking Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev 2. The company has granted immediate rematches following close championship fights before, especially when the matchup carries significant commercial interest.
Chimaev also remains the UFC’s No. 1-ranked middleweight contender, ahead of Dricus du Plessis and Imavov in the promotion’s current rankings.
The former champion responded to Strickland’s comments by calling him a coward and telling him to ask for forgiveness the next time they meet.
“This coward started talking again,” Chimaev wrote in his response on X.
There is no shortage of material available to promote the rematch. Strickland and Chimaev have the championship history, an extremely close first fight and enough personal hostility to carry a major UFC event.
That does not automatically make it the correct fight.
Nassourdine Imavov Says He Was Promised the Next Opportunity
Imavov is not simply another contender attempting to insert himself into a popular championship rivalry.
He has built one of the strongest résumés in the middleweight division, recording consecutive victories over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, Israel Adesanya and Caio Borralho.
His second-round knockout of Adesanya immediately placed him near the front of the title picture. He then defeated Borralho by unanimous decision, extending his winning streak while the championship continued moving between du Plessis, Chimaev and Strickland.
Imavov previously revealed that the UFC considered two possible dates for him to challenge Chimaev before the matchup was delayed by the former champion’s injury. After Strickland defeated Chimaev, Imavov said the promotion informed him that his next fight would be for the title.
According to Sherdog’s report, Imavov had asked to remain active against du Plessis but was told to wait for a championship opportunity.
Imavov responded quickly when Strickland began discussing Chimaev again.
“You’ll do what you’re told. You won’t escape,” Imavov wrote in a direct response to the champion.
He later added, “You’ll do what you’re told. See you soon,” in another post.
Imavov and Strickland also have unfinished history.
Strickland accepted their January 2023 fight on less than one week’s notice and defeated Imavov by unanimous decision. However, the bout was contested at light heavyweight after Strickland replaced Kelvin Gastelum.
The official UFC result lists scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. Imavov has since argued that the circumstances surrounding the fight prevented him from delivering his best performance.
A rematch would give Imavov the title opportunity he believes he earned while allowing Strickland to revisit a victory that helped rebuild his career.
Dricus du Plessis Further Complicates the UFC Middleweight Title Picture
Chimaev and Imavov are not Strickland’s only realistic options.
Dricus du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. The official scores were 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.
More importantly, du Plessis owns two victories over Strickland.
He took the championship from Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 before winning their rematch by a much wider unanimous decision at UFC 312. The second fight ended with scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46.
Du Plessis is therefore the only contender in this discussion who has defeated the current champion twice.
However, he also suffered a one-sided championship loss to Chimaev before Strickland reclaimed the belt. One victory over Usman may not be enough to erase that result and immediately produce a third fight with Strickland.
It does, however, give the UFC another recognizable former champion to consider.
The middleweight division now has three challengers with different arguments:
Chimaev has the closest recent fight with Strickland and holds the No. 1 ranking. Du Plessis has defeated the champion twice. Imavov has assembled the most sustained current winning streak and says he was already promised the next opportunity.
Someone will leave this process disappointed.
What Should the UFC Book Next?
The UFC should book Sean Strickland against Nassourdine Imavov.
Chimaev’s rematch would likely be easier to promote. The exchanges between the former champion and Strickland have already generated attention, and their first fight was close enough to justify doing it again.
However, immediate rematches should not become automatic every time a champion loses a competitive decision.
Chimaev did not establish a long championship reign. He had not completed a successful title defense before losing the belt. Giving him another opportunity without requiring an additional victory would once again place Imavov behind a more recognizable name.
Imavov has already watched other contenders move ahead of him. He remained active, defeated established opponents and says he followed the UFC’s instructions when the promotion told him to wait.
If those statements are accurate, the UFC should honor that commitment.
Strickland versus Imavov also presents a legitimate promotional story. Imavov wants revenge for his 2023 loss, while Strickland would defend his championship against a contender who has significantly improved since their first meeting.
The UFC could then place Chimaev and du Plessis in a title eliminator. Chimaev has already defeated du Plessis, but the South African’s recent victory and history with Strickland would give the matchup clear consequences. The winner would become difficult to deny.
The UFC middleweight title picture does not lack qualified names. It lacks a clear commitment to one of them.
Strickland’s next fight should not be decided by whoever produces the loudest social-media exchange. Imavov has done enough inside the Octagon to receive the opportunity he says the UFC already promised him.
The question is whether that promise will remain valuable once a more marketable rematch becomes available.
About the Author
Discover more from JMURRAYATHLETICS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
