UFC middleweight Nassourdine Imavov (17-4-0), currently ranked as the #1 contender, has confirmed that a fight with the middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev was delayed due to an injury suffered by Chimaev.
Chimaev captured the title with a unanimous decision victory over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last August, but since then, his activity has been derailed. Chimaev recently confirmed he had surgery on a foot injury, as he expects to make a title defense after Ramadan.
Meanwhile, Imavov has been out of action since his victory over Brendan Allen last November. While the UFC offered him a fight against Caio Borralho, Imavov declined it. Chimaev has recently taken to social media to tease a move to Light Heavyweight (205 lbs), posting photos of a significantly bulkier frame. That has understandably left Imavov in a state of uncertainty.
“One of the last discussions I had with them was with Hunter Campbell and Mick Maynard in Doha, Qatar when it was a Doha event. And the thing that they told me is that they wanted to schedule the fight against Khamzat for December, then for February, but then Khamzat got injured and they were thinking about when they can (have) this fight. But nothing confirmed yet. We spoke recently with Mick Maynard, the matchmaker, and he was [talking about] the fight against Khamzat, but we don’t have final approval, or whatever,” Imavov said