A storm is brewing in the middleweight division, and Khamzat Chimaev is at its center. The undefeated wrecking machine has looked virtually unstoppable since his UFC debut, and in his last fight at UFC 308, he dismantled Robert Whittaker in just one round. The result? An overwhelming call from the MMA sphere to see him challenge for the middleweight title next. Post UFC 312, will he be the next title challenger?

Well, only Dana White can answer this, and he actually did! During the pre-fight press conference, a journalist questioned the UFC CEO whether ‘Borz’ would attend UFC 312 in Australia and whether he would get the next title shot. Dana White responded:

“I don’t know anything about him being here. As far as I know, he’s not going to be at the event, no. And, obviously, he’s in line [for a title shot].” Securing a title shot is one thing, but there could be other aspects that hinder Chimaev’s journey to the top.

Getting inside the Octagon to fight for the title is one big concern: He might now be able to fight in the U.S. His ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov—who remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights issues in Russia— had sparked rumors that the UFC might struggle to book him stateside. However, White was quick to dismiss those fears, too.

During the post-fight press conference, he revealed, “Don’t listen to any of that bulls—, he’ll get in the United States. I’m very confident that we can get him into the country.”

This update is completely in line with one of Chimaev’s Instagram posts from January, where he wrote, “2025 I will take this belt InShAllah, and no one can stop it.”

With Chimaev now reportedly based in the UAE now, his path to a title fight in the U.S. seems clearer than ever. So, what do the two most likely candidates for a clash against ‘Borz’ have to say about the middleweight juggernaut?

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland in Chimaev’s crosshairs after UFC 312

While fans and analysts speculate about Khamzat Chimaev’s chances to secure the UFC gold, one man isn’t buying the hype—Dricus Du Plessis. If he retains his title at UFC 312, he could be standing across from Chimaev in order to defend his title.

Speaking to CBS Sports ahead of UFC 312, the South African champion stated, “I can beat Khamzat.” Confidence is nothing new in the fight game, but Du Plessis is more than just talk. Most fighters try to stay upright, avoiding Chimaev’s suffocating wrestling. But ‘Stillknocks’ believes, “No, no, no. I’m not scared of Khamzat’s wrestling. I’m not evading. I’m not trying to stay off the ground with Khamzat. That’s the mistake everyone makes. I’m going to fight Khamzat wherever the fight goes.”

But what if Sean Strickland walks away with the belt? Well, there’s history between them too. Ahead of UFC 312, ‘Tarzan’ had fired off a lot of shots at ‘Borz’ during the media day. From his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov to his involvement in a Bitcoin controversy, Strickland didn’t hold anything back.

And according to Chimaev himself, he’s got his sights set on the winner of the UFC 312 clash. In an interview with MMA YouTuber Aslanbek Badaev, Chimaev stated, “After the Strickland vs. Du Plessis fight, I will have a fight in May or June against the champion, and then fight in October in Abu Dhabi. Win and defend the belt, those are the plans for this year.”

With Dana White confirming Chimaev’s spot as the top contender, one thing is clear—the Wolf is coming. Whether it’s Du Plessis or Strickland holding the belt after UFC 312, Chimaev’s title shot is looming. But is he the unstoppable force many believe him to be? Or will his next opponent finally expose a chink in his armor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

UPDATE: Dricus Du Plessis successfully defended his title against Strickland at UFC 312. Though the win came via a unanimous decision, the MMA world couldn’t stop talking about how DDP broke his opponent’s nose. “I told you that when I come here, I’m trying to get the knockout, but to knock out that man is next to impossible,” said the champion, who was credited with 129 total strikes landed. “I wanted a submission, a KO, or an absolute five-round domination, and that’s what I got.”