Chimaev 'obsessed' with rematch vs. Strickland
Brett OkamotoMay 12, 2026, 09:50 AM ET Close Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather,…
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Brett Okamoto
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Following his razor-thin split-decision loss to Sean Strickland last weekend, Khamzat Chimaev is only interested in an immediate rematch.
“The rematch with Sean Strickland is the only fight that Khamzat wants, he is obsessed with it,” his team told ESPN in a statement. “That’s the only fight he will accept right now.”
Chimaev (15-1) surrendered the UFC’s middleweight championship to Strickland (31-7) at UFC 328 last Saturday in Newark, New Jersey. The five-round bout was very tightly contested. Two judges scored it 48-47 for Strickland, while a third had it 48-47 in favor of Chimaev. The grudge match was one of the biggest fights of the year. The UFC implemented additional security measures during fight week due to the animosity between the fighters.
At Saturday’s postfight news conference, UFC CEO Dana White revealed Chimaev had told him he wanted to move up to light heavyweight. Later that night, however, Chimaev tweeted, “See you soon again,” and his team confirmed he will pursue the middleweight rematch ahead of any change in weight class.
It’s unclear what the UFC or Strickland’s interest would be in an immediate rematch. White called Chimaev’s potential move up in weight “exciting,” while Strickland acknowledged his first title defense would likely come against French contender Nassourdine Imavov.
Although the prefight buildup to their first meeting turned ugly, Chimaev wrapped the belt around Strickland in a show of sportsmanship after the fight. Strickland also said the grudge was finished.
