Chimaev Drops Light Heavyweight Plans, Seeks Immediate Rematch With Strickland

Khamzat Chimaev is no longer planning to move to light heavyweight and is instead focused on securing an immediate rematch with new middleweight champion Sean Strickland, according to his friend and training partner Arman Tsarukyan. This shift follows Chimaev's first professional loss, a split decision to Strickland in the UFC 328 main event on May 9 in Newark, New Jersey.

The fight's outcome has been debated, with former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold stating he believed Chimaev won. Rockhold argued that Chimaev controlled the later rounds and landed more significant strikes, calling the judges' decision "sketchy" and suggesting personal bias may have played a role. The official result, however, stands as a victory for Strickland.

In the aftermath, significant attention has turned to Chimaev's difficult weight cut leading up to the bout. Tsarukyan and Chimaev's brother, Artur, described an extreme process where Chimaev had to cut a large amount of weight, reportedly from over 230 pounds down to the 185-pound middleweight limit. Artur Chimaev claimed that with just 2.7 pounds remaining, his brother's body "shut down" due to oxygen deprivation, leading his team to...