“I’m looking forward to him getting a title fight in ’25. We’ll see how this plays out here, but I want him to fight in the United States,” said the UFC CEO Dana White after Khamzat Chimaev decimated Robert Whittaker to cement his status as the next middleweight title challenger. Months after the confession, the UFC CEO has come forward to announce his title fight at the UFC 311 post-fight press conference. However, there’s a catch to it as well and it includes Islam Makhachev.

When the UFC CEO was grilled with questions, a reporter asked White about the future of Khamzat Chimaev in the middleweight division. The UFC Head honcho emphasized that ‘Borz’ might be next in the line for the middleweight title and he might fight the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland, “Yeah, I will. He probably gets the next shot,” said Dana White.

Khamzat Chimaev had to wait years for the title shot announcement from the UFC CEO. However, with Chimaev entering as the favorite to become the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has stepped forward to ask the UFC CEO a simple question, “Yeah, I can be three-division. Just give me the chance, that’s it. I will fight with Du Plessis. If they give me the chance, I will fight him. I swear, if Dana White sends the contract, I will fight him,” said Makhachev at the post-fight press conference.

It must be noted that the UFC lightweight champion has been calling on the UFC to give him a chance to become a double champion. Having seemingly cleared out his division, he has now publicly appealed to the UFC CEO to grant his wish. Well, Dana White might not be willing to give him a chance but we will have to wait and see. However, what does ‘Borz’ have to say about this?

Khamzat Chimaev disregarded Islam Makhachev’s middleweight dream

Ahead of his UFC 311 clash, Islam Makhachev‘s manager, Ali Abdelaziz emphasized that the lightweight champion could dethrone the welterweight as well as the middleweight champions to become the first three-division UFC champion in the world. His words have been seriously taken into cognizance by the middleweight title challenger Khamzat Chimaev, who believes that Makhachev doesn’t have what it takes to fight at the middleweight.

While having a conversation with the media, ‘Borz’ emphasized that he had serious doubts about Islam Makhachev’s middleweight capabilities, “Well, if Islam wants to, and [Ali] Abdelaziz wants, let him go up and try. I don’t know. I can’t give an answer about Islam now. I haven’t trained with him. Maybe, it’s possible, maybe not. If anyone could move up [and compete] at 170 or 185, it would be Khabib [Nurmagomedov].”

He further added, “As for Islam, I have my doubts because of his last fight at 155. It was tough for him. Although I had a tough fight against Gilbert [at 170] then I moved up to 185 and it was easier [to fight] there. Maybe Islam will have the same situation. He might move up and it will become much easier. Well, only the Octagon can show.”

Islam Makhachev has defended his title four times, making him the only fighter in the lightweight division to achieve this feat. While he may be dominant in this division, the question remains: will he be able to replicate this dominance in the welterweight and middleweight divisions? What’s your take on the hubbub? State your thoughts in the comments below.