Khamzat Chimaev Gets Honest About Chechnya vs. Dagestan Conflict Ahead of Potential 185lbs Title Fight

Khamzat Chimaev speaks on a potential showdown with Nassourdine Imavov for the UFC middleweight title.

Khamzat Chimaev Gets Honest About Chechnya vs. Dagestan Conflict Ahead of Potential 185lbs Title Fight

Khamzat Chimaev is hesitant to fight Nasirroudine Imavov (via X)

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It has been a few months since Khamzat Chimaev became the undisputed UFC middleweight champion after defeating Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319. The Chechen controlled the former champion throughout five rounds using relentless wrestling pressure and secured a clear unanimous decision victory, scoring 50-44 across the board.

Since that title win, he has been consistently challenged by several strong top contenders, including the rising threat Nassourdine Imavov. The Frenchman has emerged as one of the most dangerous middleweights in recent times, showcasing impressive technical and strategic growth.

The Dagestani-born contender is riding a strong five-fight winning streak and convincingly defeated Caio Borralho during his last competitive outing at UFC Paris. Following that victory, Imavov quickly called out Chimaev, clarifying there was nothing personally involved and expressing his desire for a championship opportunity.

‘Borz’ has responded in a similar tone in a recent interview with ESPN, sharing thoughts about his reservations while still acknowledging Imavov’s legitimate claim. 

He’s a good guy, I know him, he knows me. If you ask me, I don’t want to fight this guy because we know each other. He’s Muslim, and he’s from Dagestan. You know how Dagestan and Chechnyan people, it’s a lot of drama, internet, and all these (expletive) things, but if the UFC wants it, I’m never going to say no. If the guy wants it, I told his manager, as well, if Nassourdine wants, I will be open to it.

Khamzat Chimaev via ESPN 

Imavov was born in Dagestan, which was made popular by Khabib Nurmagomedov and, recently, the welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, he moved to France with his family as a teenager, where he later began training at the MMA Factory in Paris. It was the same gym that trained Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou, where the next 185lbs title challenger developed as a fighter. 

Meanwhile, Chimaev, originally from Chechnya, was previously involved in a brief physical altercation with members of Nurmagomedov’s team. Both sides eventually resolved their disagreements, even if Chimaev initially appeared reluctant to fully sever that competitive rivalry.

Considering the current title landscape, it would not be surprising to see Chimaev eventually facing Imavov in a high-stakes matchup. Beyond Imavov, the determined champion has consistently expressed interest in challenging several other contenders who could shape his competitive future.

Khamzat Chimaev opens up about potentially fighting Sean Strickland

Khamzat Chimaev is widely recognized for his unapologetic and fiery personality, often engaging in heated exchanges with several fighters. His recent altercation with rising contender Ian Garry quickly went viral online, attracting massive attention from fans and media platforms. However, Chimaev’s most notorious rivalry remains with Sean Strickland, marked by frequent accusations and insults.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland (via X)

Their intense feud included gym altercations, sparring accusations, and mutual claims of disrespect that intensified whenever title discussions resurfaced within interviews. Recently, ‘Borz’ talked about potentially fighting Strickland and how it would make sense for the promotion.

That will be funny [a fight against Strickland]. Funny interviews, like a lot of things going to happen about that as well. But he lost a lot of fights, he has to win one fight…He lost against the guy [Dricus du Plessis], who I beat, like I destroyed five rounds. That’s why he has to win one fight. But if they give him [the title shot], who cares? 

Khamzat Chimaev via ESPN

Chimaev has also talked about moving up and having a potential clash with the current light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira. ‘Borz’ believes his wrestling will be enough to beat Pereira, irrespective of the knockout threat. According to the champ, the UFC doesn’t want him to fight or beat one of their biggest stars before the upcoming White House event. 

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