UFC CEO Dana White has made it clear that middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev might want to defend his belt at 185 kilos earlier than he’ll contemplate transferring as much as gentle heavyweight. Within the post-fight press convention at UFC Battle Night time 267 in Houston, White reiterated that he ought to defend his title earlier than speaking about leaping up a weight class.
Dana White urges Khamzat Chimaev to defend UFC middleweight belt as a substitute of leaping division
“I might wish to see him defend the title in that weight class first. I might quite see him defend the title earlier than we speak about him leaping from weight to weight with out defending.”
Chimaev, who has an expert file of 15-0 and a 9-0 file within the UFC, received the undisputed middleweight title by defeating Drikas du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025. The struggle led to a five-round elimination, with Chimaev controlling du Plessis for many of the struggle, touchdown a UFC file 529 strikes. He has but to defend the belt, and the UFC is engaged on fielding its first title challenger from the middleweight division.
Regardless of just lately transferring as much as 185, Chimaev has repeatedly said that he intends to maneuver as much as gentle heavyweight quickly. He instructed ESPN in late 2025 that he plans to make one protection of his middleweight title after which make a shot on the championship at 205, concentrating on present gentle heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. These feedback are in keeping with a broader sample of recent champions aiming for greater weight lessons, however White sharply framed the primary bounce as a legal responsibility concern.
White careworn in Houston that he desires Chimaev to defend his middleweight belt earlier than discussing a transfer between weight lessons. He mentioned he want to see a title protection first, and expressed displeasure with fighters making weight with out placing their present championship on the road. On the similar time, White expressed openness to Alex Pereira’s personal ambitions, together with the potential for transferring as much as heavyweight, drawing a distinction to Chimaev’s state of affairs.
On the contender facet, Nasouddin Imavov and Sean Strickland have been floated as names the UFC might draft if Chimaev have been to concentrate on defending his title at middleweight. Strickland’s KO of Anthony Hernandez in Houston added a brand new layer to the 185-pound dialog, though White has persistently made a distinction between Strickland’s media habits and in-cage values. For now, White’s message is easy and clear. Chimaev’s subsequent step must be defending his middleweight title, not a bounce to gentle heavyweight.
