The UFC’s next middleweight title fight is on.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that Khamzat Chimaev would be defending his belt against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey. It represents the champion’s first fight since dethroning Dricus Du Plessis in August, while his challenger will return just under three months after stopping Anthony Hernandez last time out.
Now, the question looms: does this booking make sense?
Everyone is asking the same question: why not Nassourdine Imavov?
The Dagestani-born French “Sniper” has been on a five-win streak since 2024, boasting former champion Israel Adesanya and one-time challenger Jared Cannonier as conquests during that period. Imavov is well-rounded, combining the usual smothering Caucasian wrestling with punching power that has resulted in seven knockout wins.
A fight between Imavov and Chimaev will be a meritocrat’s dream: two similarly-skilled athletes who will either try outwitting each other or trade bombs until one wilts. Think of it as Merab Dvalishvili vs. either Umar Nurmagomedov or Petr Yan, but 50 pounds north.
Alas, there is one major reason why the UFC has pivoted towards Strickland, and it has mostly little to do with in-cage talent…
For all his elite skills, Imavov has been quiet and unassuming for much of his UFC stint, besides calling his shot after defeating Caio Borralho in Paris in September. Of course, CBS executives apparently will not like that.
Hence, the decision to give Strickland the title shot. While some may point to his 2023 short-notice win over Imavov as a factor, the likelier reason is that he is a loud-mouthed braggart who will draw attention. With the PPV model “dead”, CBS needs another source of revenue, and that comes from Paramount+ subcriptions, whose numbers it thinks Strickland will drive up.
As for the matchup, Strickland likes to stick and move. Though he can finish fights, as he showed against Hernandez, Chimaev is another beast entirely. When he is not smothering people on the ground, he can also knock them out cold – just as he did against Gerald Meerschaert.
The fight could prove lopsided, with Chimaev ragdolling Strickland on the ground — or maybe Strickland pulls off another upset of a lifetime. After all, this is not the first time Strickland has been a sizable underdog. He was supposed to be a speed bump towards an Adesanya-Du Plessis grudge match, then, of course, everyone knows what happened.
Back to Imavov, where does he go next after this snub?
Obviously, Imavov will have to go the Natalia Silva route: take another fight and win. Fortunately, one clear opponent is sitting above him: none other than Du Plessis. The ploy is easy enough: main event, winner gets the next title shot.
That is one of the most obvious dream fights for the second half of 2026, and Dana White will be remiss not to capitalize on it…
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