It seems that Khamzat Chimaev may not have desired the kind of quick turnaround he claimed to at UFC 319.
Chimaev finally realized his title ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage at this month’s pay-per-view event in Chicago, where a new era at middleweight got underway.
In the UFC 319 main event, Chimaev dominated Dricus du Plessis to hand the South African his first loss in the promotion and end his reign after two successful defenses.
With that, a new rule has begun at 185 pounds, and one that was branded a “disaster” for the sport ahead of time. That came from ex-fighter Din Thomas, who worried about the Chechen star’s activity as a champion.
Chimaev answered those worries with a return plan, outlining his desire to capture the gold and defend it just two months later in Abu Dhabi. Now, though, ‘Borz’ is allegedly saying something different.
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Reinier de Ridder’s manager says Khamzat Chimaev does not plan to fight again in 2025
Talk of the newly crowned middleweight king turning around to defend his belt for the first time at UFC 321 in October picked up after UFC 319 when Dana White green-lit Chimaev’s return plan.
While Chimaev called UFC Paris’ headliner a title eliminator, the favorite to challenge him in October looked to be Reinier de Ridder, who staked his claim by beating Robert Whittaker in July.
The Dutchman’s manager confirmed as much during a recent appearance on Submission Radio but claimed the potential matchup fell through when Chimaev said he wouldn’t be back until 2026.
“I talked to the UFC,” Ali Abdelaziz said. “If Khamzat would have fought in October, it would have been Reinier de Ridder fighting Khamzat.
“But Khamzat said, you know, he is gonna fight next year.
“They offered ‘Fluffy’. De Ridder said, ‘You know what, I am not gonna wait?’ … He takes this fight and now he is gonna fight a very tough fight,” Abdelaziz added.
De Ridder will instead face fellow highly ranked contender Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Vancouver on October 18.
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Ali Abdelaziz shuts down talk of Khamzat Chimaev vs Islam Makhachev super fight
During the same interview, Abdelaziz addressed talk of a clash between Chimaev and another of his clients.
With Makhachev moving up to welterweight and Chimaev teasing a return to 170 pounds in his pursuit of collecting three divisional titles, discourse surrounding a possible super fight between those two has emerged.
Makhachev addressed the Chimaev fight during a recent press conference, refusing to be drawn into such discussion. His manager, though, provided a more stern take on whether the fight could come to fruition.
“This fight will never happen,” Abdelaziz said. “First of all, Khamzat is too big. I don’t think he can ever make welterweight.
“And in a way, like these guys, they know each other. I don’t think, they’re from the same region.
“And honestly, these fights make absolutely no sense,” Abdelaziz continued.
“I think if Khamzat go up and wanna fight a light heavyweight, maybe it makes more sense.”