Khamzat Chimaev is wasting no time pushing for another crack at Sean Strickland, publicly calling for a rematch after losing his middleweight title by close decision at UFC 328 in May.
Chimaev, now 15-1 as a professional, took to social media on Monday to urge Strickland to face him again, keeping the focus firmly on reclaiming the belt he dropped in their tight championship clash.
“Accept the fight, don’t run, I’ll beat you anyway,” Chimaev wrote, adding, “The sooner this happens, the easier it will be to breathe.”
Following UFC 328, UFC president Dana White said Chimaev had told him he wanted to move up to light heavyweight, but Chimaev has consistently maintained since the loss that his priority is a second fight with Strickland. Strickland, for his part, has told fans he is targeting December for his return to the octagon.
Chimaev’s rise to the middleweight title included a one-sided win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025, after earning his shot by submitting Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in October 2024. Now, the former champion is making it clear he wants his path to run straight back through Sean Strickland.
