Khamzat Chimaev names potential next title challenger, delivers cheeky warning

After a long and arduous climb, Khamzat Chimaev claimed middleweight title glory with a dominant win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. Now, as fans await his first defense, 'Borz' has floated a potential name and attached a sly warning.

In a recent post on X, Chimaev called out No.2-ranked middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov, while urging the Russian-born Frenchman to work on his wrestling:

"See you after Ramadan @imavov1. You have time [to] work on your wrestling, Bratishka."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's callout to Nassourdine Imavov below:

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'Borz' is widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA wrestlers of all time, having managed to outwrestle the likes of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. At UFC 319, he even amassed an astonishing 21:40 minutes of total control time.

Chimaev is scheduled to undergo surgery on his leg soon and will be sidelined until after Ramadan, a development that has riled up the MMA fandom. Regardless, this timeline means he won't resume full training until March, pushing any octagon return to at least April.

Furthermore, the Chechen-born Emirati has recently thrown his name in for a spot on the UFC White House card, and if he gets his wish, that would further push his MMA return to June.

Nevertheless, Imavov appears to be the obvious choice as an opponent. He is on a seven-fight unbeaten streak and earned high-profile wins over Caio Borralho and Israel Adesanya in his last two fights.

'The Sniper' also boasts a takedown defence of 81% and has never been submitted in his UFC career, a stat sure to instill confidence when going up against a formidable grappler like Chimaev.

Nassourdine Imavov zeroes in on Khamzat Chimaev's belt

It looks like Nassourdine Imavov wants a crack at Khamzat Chimaev's middleweight gold and wouldn't take no for an answer. 'The Sniper' seems ready to wait on the sidelines until the opportunity presents itself.

In a post on X, Imavov revealed details of his latest conversation with the UFC matchmakers, claiming that he has put his foot down regarding a title shot. Elaborating on his plans, Imavov wrote:

"Had a good conversation with UFC. I told them, title shot only! If we have to wait, we’ll wait. No distractions, no detours. Great things require great preparation. Make no mistake, I’ll be ready!"