Khamzat Chimaev appears to have selected the opponent for his first middleweight title defence.
Chimaev had a run-in with Ian Machado Garry over the weekend at UFC Qatar, and it did not take long for clips of their confrontation to spread online.
He was there to back Arman Tsarukyan, but most fans were more interested in when he might step back into the Octagon.
Speaking to media after the event, Chimaev explained that an upcoming operation on his foot will keep him out until after Ramadan, which ends on 18 March.
However, that has not stopped him from looking ahead, as a recent post on social media made clear.
Khamzat Chimaev tells Nassourdine Imavov to work on his wrestling in recent post
Ever since he captured the middleweight title in August, debate has been raging over who should stand as Chimaev’s first challenger.
Despite extending his impressive streak with a win over Caio Borralho in September, Nassourdine Imavov was never guaranteed the opportunity.
His chances, however, increased significantly when Brendan Allen halted Reinier de Ridder’s run, leaving the Frenchman as the most obvious option in the division.
And it seems ‘Borz’ has now hinted at exactly that. In a recent post on X, he directed a pointed message at Imavov.
The Chechen star wrote: “See you after Ramadan @imavov1. You have time to work on your wrestling, bratishka [little brother].”
Chimaev gives initial reaction to Imavov’s latest win
Chimaev did not have much to say right after Nassourdine Imavov’s victory over Caio Borralho, but the fight clearly caught his eye.
He kept his comments brief, saying only “good fight” in a short statement after the Frenchman had his hand raised in front of his home crowd.
Even though ‘Borz’ has pointed to Imavov as the next opponent for when he returns, that does not guarantee the UFC will go along with it.
Imavov certainly deserves a title shot, though an official matchup is still a long way off.
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