🚨 Khamzat Chimaev says he'll chase Sean Strickland to ANY weight class to get his rematch! After suffering his first career defeat against Strickland at UFC 328, Khamzat is determined to get another shot at the man who took his undefeated record. 🗣️ “If he goes up to 205, I'll go after him. If he goes higher weight, I'll go to heavyweight. This guy is not going to run from me.” Via: (@mmafighting)
Khamzat Chimaev says he will follow Sean Strickland up or down the divisions if that is what it takes to get a rematch, as first reported by MMA Fighting.
Chimaev, who suffered the first defeat of his career against Strickland at UFC 328, was direct about his intentions. He said that if Strickland moves up to 205 pounds, he will go after him there, and that if Strickland goes higher still, he will head to heavyweight. "This guy is not going to run from me," Chimaev said, according to the report.
The two met on May 9, 2026, in a title fight that Strickland won by split decision after five rounds. It was Chimaev's first loss and took his record to 15-1. He is ranked number one at middleweight and tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old, who fights out of Allstars Training Center and represents the United Arab Emirates, had won the belt in August 2025 with a unanimous decision over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.
Chimaev's numbers show a grappling-first fighter. He averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts over the same span, while landing 4.04 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy.
Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion with a 31-7 record. The American from Xtreme Couture has won back-to-back fights, stopping Anthony Hernandez in the third round in February 2026 before beating Chimaev. His striking volume of 6.04 significant strikes per minute is two more per minute than Chimaev's, though his accuracy sits at 42 percent and he averages just 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's rematch push comes from the division's top-ranked contender, who lost the title by the slimmest of margins.
- The first fight was decided on a split verdict, so the judges were not unanimous on a five-round contest.
- The styles contrast sharply: Chimaev's takedown rate is more than seven times Strickland's, while Strickland holds a clear edge in output on the feet.
- Strickland is a year-and-a-half removed from his own title loss to Du Plessis at UFC 312, a reminder of how quickly the belt has changed hands in this weight class.
Chimaev is 5 inches... shorter in reach than Strickland by only two inches, at 75 inches (191 cm) against 76 inches (193 cm), and the two are separated by an inch of height, with Chimaev at 188 cm and Strickland at 185 cm.
