Dana White: Chimaev wants to move to light heavyweight, transition is interesting

Khamzat Chimaev has told UFC president Dana White he wants to move up to light heavyweight and leave the middleweight division behind, White revealed in the wake of UFC 328 on May 9.

White confirmed that Chimaev approached him directly after the event and expressed a clear desire to compete at 205 pounds going forward. White said he found the potential transition interesting, though he admitted he had not yet thought through who Chimaev might face at light heavyweight. No opponent or timeline has been announced.

The move comes on the heels of a significant setback for Chimaev, who suffered a split decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 — the first defeat of his professional career. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains at Allstars Training Center, entered that fight ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound standings with a 15-1 record. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev has long been considered physically large for middleweight. His grappling-heavy, pressure style — built around 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and a striking accuracy of 60 percent — could translate well to the heavier class.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's departure would reshape the middleweight title picture, removing the division's top-ranked contender from the mix.
• At light heavyweight, his size and physicality become less of an outlier, and his wrestling-based attack could immediately threaten established contenders.
• The loss to Strickland, combined with this reported weight-class move, signals a notable turning point in one of the sport's most closely watched careers.
• White's openness to the idea suggests the UFC is willing to explore the transition, even without a concrete plan in place.