Khamzat Chimaev is pushing for another shot at Sean Strickland and the UFC middleweight title after their close decision at UFC 328 on May 9th.
According to UFC president Dana White, Chimaev has formally requested a rematch with Strickland following their first meeting, which went to the scorecards. White said on a podcast with Bret Boone that the promotion has not yet decided its next move.
“Khamzat, right now, is asking for the rematch with Strickland,” White said. “That’s what he wants. We don’t know what we’re going to do yet.”
The rematch request comes after conflicting reports about Chimaev’s future division. White previously said Chimaev told him he wanted to move to light heavyweight after UFC 328, with the UFC weighing options that included a potential bout with Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 or defending the middleweight title against Strickland at UFC 328.
Chimaev’s weight cut for the Strickland fight has also been a talking point. T.J. Dillashaw stated that Chimaev’s cut to make middleweight for UFC 328 nearly killed him, with reports indicating he had over 45 pounds to shed before the bout.
