White confirms Chimaev requesting light heavyweight move after UFC 328

Khamzat Chimaev has formally requested a move to light heavyweight following his title fight loss at UFC 328 on May 9, with UFC president Dana White confirming the Borz made the approach directly after the bout.

White stated that Chimaev came to him immediately after the fight and declared he no longer wants to compete at middleweight, expressing a clear desire to move up to 205 pounds. The UFC president described the potential transition as an intriguing development, though he acknowledged he has not yet begun identifying potential opponents for Chimaev in the new division.

Chimaev, 32, entered UFC 328 as the No. 1-ranked middleweight and the No. 10 fighter on the pound-for-pound list, carrying a 15-1 record into the contest. The UAE-based Chechen-Swedish fighter out of Allstars Training Center built his reputation as one of the sport's most suffocating wrestlers, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes while also posting a striking accuracy rate of 60 percent and landing 4.04 significant strikes per minute. That combination of pressure grappling and crisp stand-up made him a nightmare matchup at middleweight for years.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's move would shake up a light heavyweight division that would be absorbing one of the sport's most physically dominant grapplers
• His No. 1 middleweight ranking becomes vacated, immediately reshuffling the 185-pound title picture following his loss
• At six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev carries legitimate size for light heavyweight, which could make him a rapid threat in the new division
• White's public acknowledgment signals the UFC is at minimum open to facilitating the move, though no opponent or timeline has been established