Belal Muhammad believes that if Khamzat Chimaev defeats Sean Strickland, Chimaev will receive a light heavyweight title fight against Paulo Costa. Muhammad specifically used the word "vacant" rather than "interim" when discussing the potential title bout. This could suggest Muhammad believes the belt may become vacant if Carlos Ulberg is sidelined long-term from his injury. The prediction represents a scenario where Chimaev would move up to 205 pounds for championship opportunity. Muhammad's comments add to speculation about potential cross-divisional title fights in the UFC.
Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has floated an unconfirmed scenario in which Khamzat Chimaev would jump to light heavyweight for a title fight against Paulo Costa — but only if Chimaev first gets past Sean Strickland.
According to the report, Muhammad specifically used the word "vacant" rather than "interim" when describing the potential 205-pound belt, a word choice that has fueled speculation he believes the light heavyweight title could be stripped or relinquished amid Carlos Ulberg's ongoing injury situation. Nothing about that scenario has been officially confirmed.
Chimaev, 32, carries a 15-1 record and is currently ranked first in the middleweight division, with a top-ten pound-for-pound placement. Fighting out of Allstars Training Center under the UAE flag, the six-foot-two wrestler averages 5.29 takedowns per fifteen minutes and lands significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy clip — among the highest in the sport. He would need to clear Strickland before any title-fight conversation at 205 becomes relevant.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, is a 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture who throws at a relentless volume of 6.04 significant strikes per minute. The six-foot-one southpaw-stopper carries a 31-7 record and a seventy-six-inch reach that gives him a significant frame advantage over most of the division.
Costa, 35, holds a 16-4 record and is ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division despite the light heavyweight framing of Muhammad's prediction. The Brazilian puncher lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy and has never recorded a submission attempt in his professional career, making him a pure stand-and-trade proposition.
Why it matters
- A Chimaev win over Strickland could legitimately open cross-divisional title conversations at 205 pounds
- The word "vacant" rather than "interim" signals a potentially more significant shift at light heavyweight than currently reported
- Costa's power-striking style against Chimaev's elite grappling would represent a stark stylistic contrast at any weight class
