Khamzat Chimaev has made his stance known to the fighting world with his return to the Octagon at UFC 308. He not only competed with Robert Whittaker but also defeated him within the first round with a rear naked choke. Needless to say, the ‘Chechen Wolf’ was ready for all the action and impressed the fighting community with his strength. Now, the undefeated middleweight fighter found a new throne in the UFC MW rankings. 

With his performance against ‘The Reaper’, Chimaev jumped over 10 fighters and landed at the third position on the list. With a score of 14 wins and absolutely no defeats, what else could we expect? On the other hand, Whittaker dropped down to the 4th place with his defeat. This sudden move has put the middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, and the # contender, Sean Strickland, on high alert. After all, the ‘Chechen Wolf’ seems to have the power to defeat both of them and is quickly rising to a shot at the championship title.

On top of that, the middleweight division witnessed the entry of Sharaputdin Magomedov into the athlete rankings. ‘Shara Bullet’ stepped into the 14th pedestal of the rankings with his spinning double-back fist victory. Magomedov, just like Chimaev, has been undefeated throughout his professional MMA career, with 15 victories under his belt. 

Khamzat Chimaev has already set his eyes on Dricus Du Plessis’s title. During the interview inside the Octagon, the Chechen mixed martial artist said, “I would like to fight for the title. I have seven fights, and seven victories. There is no fighter in the UFC who has won seven fights without fighting for the belt.” However, the number 1 middleweight contender would not give away his title shot that easily.

Sean Strickland won’t let Khamzat Chimaev fight Dricus Du Plessis before him

Following the fight at UFC’s 20th event in Abu Dhabi, Chimaev called the middleweight champion out for a fight. Even Du Plessis was ready to take on the fight against ‘Borz’. No doubt, he has been waiting for the ‘Chechen Wolf’ for a long time now. Taking to X, ‘Stillknocks’ felt sorry for Robert Whittaker, and congratulated Chimaev for the win. But his excitement for fighting ‘Borz’ was crystal clear indeed. 

However, Sean Strickland wasn’t ready to give away his title shot. He took to X and wrote, “Understand one thing…. I am next in line….. Its been said, its been written… January/February me and [Dricus Du Plessis] are scrapping.” 

Nevertheless, Chimaev will fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Strickland, and the date might come sooner than expected. With the kind of performance he showcased at the Etihad Arena, ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Stillknocks need to prepare themselves in every way possible if they wish to defend their positions in the UFC athlete rankings. 

What are your thoughts on the new rankings? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.