Khamzat Chimaev promises title fight win in 2025 in threat to middleweights: ‘No one can stop it’
Backed to fight for the title in his return to action, Khamzat Chimaev has warned his UFC middleweight peers that if afforded the opportunity to compete for gold next — nobody at 185lbs can stop his championship reign.
Chimaev, who retains the number three rank at middleweight, has been sidelined since last October, where he turned in his stunning fourteenth straight win with a spectacular first round face crank submission win over former champion, Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi.
And pegged by UFC CEO, Dana White to fight for a championship in his return to action off the back of the win, the long-time promotional boss confirmed Chimaev will likely challenge either Dricus du Plessis or Sean Strickland for gold — with the duo set to rematch next month at UFC 312.
Khamzat Chimaev claims no one can stop him from winning gold this annum
On social media this afternoon, the Chechen issued a stark warning to his competition at the middleweight limit, claiming if he ever gets a chance to compete for the belt, nobody on the promotional roster can stop him from landing the crown.
“2025 I will take this belt InShAllah, and no one can stop it,” Khamzat Chimaev posted on his official X account.
Furthermore, Chimaev’s chances of fighting for gold next were backed by the incumbent, du Plessis, who claims he would have preferred to fight the former rather than rematching Strickland next month in Sydney.
“Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Whittaker. I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision like I said I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.”
