Khamzat Chimaev sužava mogućnosti povratka u UFC

Khamzat Chimaev’s route back to the UFC remains unbooked, but his own public list of possible opponents has become shorter. Red Corner MMA posted after Chimaev’s RAF appearance in Moscow that he does not expect Caio Borralho or Dricus Du Plessis to be next. The update came after Chimaev’s quick wrestling victory over Tyron Woodley and changed the immediate discussion around the former UFC middleweight champion’s return.

Chimaev had recently cast a wider net, naming Sean Strickland, Du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov and Borralho as options. Borralho publicly answered that callout, yet Red Corner MMA’s later post removed both Borralho and Du Plessis from the expectation for Chimaev’s next fight. That does not establish an opponent or announce a UFC booking. It does, however, provide a clearer account of which paths Chimaev is not anticipating as he seeks a fast return after losing the belt earlier this year.

Chimaev’s stated board is now smaller

The latest message places Strickland and Imavov back at the center of the conversation, while keeping the important qualification that nothing has officially been booked. Red Corner MMA said Chimaev expressed hope of facing Strickland or Imavov if their fight falls through. That is an expressed preference tied to a possible change in plans, not confirmation that either matchup will happen. Strickland is a particularly prominent name in the current picture because he took the title from Chimaev at UFC 328. Imavov is also described as being in the frame following his climb at 185 pounds. For Chimaev, the immediate development is less about a new opponent being selected than two previously discussed names being taken off his expected next-fight list.

That distinction matters in a middleweight situation the report describes as moving quickly. Chimaev’s earlier willingness to name every major option near the top of the division gave him a broad public target list. The newer update narrows that list without resolving the UFC’s next decision. Readers should therefore separate three points: Chimaev’s recent non-UFC activity, the opponents he says he does not expect next, and the absence of an official UFC announcement. The reporting supports all three, but it does not support declaring a confirmed return matchup.

RAF result kept Chimaev in view

Chimaev entered this latest round of UFC discussion following a dominant RAF Moscow result. the report says he pinned Woodley in 94 seconds in a quick wrestling win. That appearance did not answer the booking question, but it gave the update a clear sequence: Chimaev competed in Moscow, spoke afterward through material posted by Red Corner MMA, and indicated that Borralho and Du Plessis were not the opponents he expected next. The most concrete takeaway is caution rather than prediction. Chimaev is still looking to return quickly, and Strickland and Imavov remain names attached to his public remarks. Yet the report makes clear the situation is wait-and-see. Until the promotion makes a booking, Chimaev’s narrowed options are a guide to the current conversation, not a finalized UFC schedule.

• Chimaev does not expect Caio Borralho or Dricus Du Plessis to be his next opponent, according to Red Corner MMA’s post after RAF Moscow.
• Chimaev expressed hope of facing Sean Strickland or Nassourdine Imavov if their fight falls through, while no UFC fight has been officially booked.

Chimaev has not given a final answer to the UFC middleweight picture, but he has reduced the number of names he expects to face next. His RAF Moscow win and the subsequent Red Corner MMA update keep attention on a potential fast return. For now, Strickland and Imavov remain part of Chimaev’s stated outlook, while Borralho and Du Plessis appear off his immediate board.