Dana White confirms Chimaev wants to move to light heavyweight after UFC 328 loss

UFC President Dana White confirmed on May 10, 2026, the day after UFC 328, that Khamzat Chimaev personally approached him requesting a move to light heavyweight following his loss to Sean Strickland.

Chimaev, known as "Borz," told White directly that he no longer wishes to compete at middleweight. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains out of Allstars Training Center, entered UFC 328 as the number-one ranked middleweight contender and sits tenth on the pound-for-pound list. He carries a 15-1 record built largely on relentless grappling — averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing significant strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate. His struggles with the 185-pound weight cut have been a recurring topic throughout his middleweight tenure, and the loss to Strickland appears to have made the decision final.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, improved to 31-7 with the victory. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. Retaining his title against the division's top-ranked challenger reinforces his standing at 185 pounds.

White acknowledged the division move would be interesting but said he had not yet considered specific opponents for Chimaev at light heavyweight. No timeline or debut matchup was announced.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's departure removes the top-ranked middleweight contender from the 185-pound picture, reshuffling the title queue behind Strickland
• At six-foot-two and 188 cm with elite wrestling, Chimaev brings a physically imposing and statistically rare skill set to the 205-pound division
• White's public confirmation signals the move is a genuine request, not speculation, though no opponent or date has been set