Khamzat Chimaev (15-1) sent a public message to UFC CEO Dana White as he hopes to secure a quick return to the Octagon, having fought only twice in the last 22 months.
Chimaev won the UFC middleweight championship in August 2025 when he dominated Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois.
He did not fight again until May 2026, when he put the belt on the line for the first time against Sean Strickland and lost by split decision. Immediately after the fight, Chimaev told White he wanted to move up to light heavyweight, but he later changed course and made reclaiming the middleweight title his priority.
Chimaev has sought a rematch ever since. Strickland, though, may not be ready until the end of the year as he recovers from a shoulder injury suffered at UFC 328.
In a message to White, Chimaev said:
“What are we waiting for? I want to fight.”
White said he had not seen the message before commenting on whether Chimaev could be in the conversation to fight on the upcoming Abu Dhabi card on October 24.
UFC 333 currently features two title fights, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight championship against Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan facing Merab Dvalishvili for a third time at bantamweight.
“He’s always in conversations,” White said. “The whole roster is. In a perfect world, everybody fights three times a year.”