Dana White confirms Chimaev wants to move up to light heavyweight

UFC President Dana White confirmed on May 10 that Khamzat Chimaev has formally expressed his desire to move up to light heavyweight, one day after Chimaev suffered a split decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

White revealed that Chimaev approached him directly following the fight, telling the UFC president: "I want to move up in weight. I don't want to fight in this weight class anymore." White acknowledged he had not yet begun thinking through potential matchups at 205 pounds but described the prospect as interesting and confirmed the UFC is open to making it happen.

Chimaev, known as "Borz," carries a 15-1 record and enters this transition as the number-one ranked middleweight and the tenth-ranked fighter in the pound-for-pound standings. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains at Allstars Training Center in Sweden, built his reputation on an overwhelming combination of grappling and striking. He averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate, posting 4.04 significant strikes per minute. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, he would enter the light heavyweight division without a significant size disadvantage against most contenders.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's departure would reshape the middleweight title picture, removing the division's top-ranked contender
• At 205 pounds, his elite wrestling and striking volume would immediately test the division's established hierarchy
• The UFC has signaled openness to the move but has no confirmed opponent or timeline, leaving the next step unclear