Khamzat Chimaev questions UFC head honcho Dana White amid Sean Strickland rematch uncertainty

Khamzat Chimaev appears to have taken aim at UFC CEO and president Dana White. 

"Borz" has seemingly questioned White regarding the apparent delay in the UFC's booking of his next fight. This comes at a time of significant uncertainty concerning his potential rematch against archrival Sean Strickland. 

Khamzat Chimaev, keen on avenging his first MMA defeat, calls upon UFC CEO and president Dana White

Khamzat Chimaev, back in August of last year, boasted an undefeated professional MMA record and received his maiden UFC title shot. The Chechnya-born, Sweden-trained, U.A.E.-based combatant challenged the then-UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis for the title. 

He handily out-grappled du Plessis en route to a unanimous decision victory and earned the honor of becoming the new UFC middleweight kingpin. Chimaev's reign, however, was short-lived, as he lost the belt to America's Sean Strickland in his first attempt at defending it. Strickland narrowly outpointed him at UFC 328 back in May. 

It's noteworthy that Chimaev and Strickland had trained together in the past, and their dynamics went from being competitive sparring partners to feuding as fierce rivals inside the Octagon. The buildup to their first encounter was marked by considerable verbal warfare, as has been its aftermath. 

Strickland underwent rehabilitation for a shoulder injury and has signaled that a return to action this December would be ideal for him. Meanwhile, Chimaev has tirelessly campaigned for an immediate title rematch against Strickland. 

That said, speculation has abounded about Chimaev's admitted struggles in cutting down to middleweight -- his near-fatal weight cut for UFC 328 -- and highly publicized plans to capture UFC light heavyweight gold. Many believe that the UFC could, as such, choose to book Strickland to defend the middleweight belt against another top contender rather than opposite Chimaev. 

Taking to X, the former UFC middleweight titlist has now addressed UFC head honcho Dana White and indicated that he'd like to compete at the earliest. Chimaev wrote: 

"What are we waiting for? I want to fight @danawhite." 

What are we waiting for?
I want to fight @danawhite pic.twitter.com/k5btIqshzd

— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) August 18, 2026

Khamzat Chimaev's weight class conundrum; imminent wrestling showdown with Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow

Some believe Khamzat Chimaev's aforementioned X post might be indicative of his willingness to simply fight, irrespective of whether his opponent is Sean Strickland or someone else.

A few others have conjectured that the wrestling maestro could even move up in weight, possibly for his rumored fight against ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who's lately hinted he's in training camp, albeit hasn't announced his opponent yet. 

While Chimaev's weight class conundrum lingers, alongside the ambiguity of whom he'll face in his next MMA fight, he does have an opponent for his next freestyle wrestling match. The Chechen fighter will take on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a catchweight match under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling banner. 

Chimaev and Woodley will headline RAF Moscow at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia, on September 5. The card would also feature a trio of championship matches. 

Reigning RAF light heavyweight titlist Kyle Snyder will defend his title against Akhmed Tazhudinov. RAF cruiserweight champ Kyle Dake defends his belt against Arsenii Dzhioev. Also, RAF women's middleweight champion Kennedy Blades puts her title at stake against Vusala Parfianovich.