“Borz” plans to be back.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev suffered the first loss of his professional career last night (Sat., May 9, 2026), dropping a razor-close split decision to Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
After steamrolling through the division and capturing UFC gold, Chimaev finally hit his first major setback — and his immediate reaction was relatively calm.
Shortly after the loss,
Chimaev posted a simple message on Instagram:
“Alhamdulilah.”
Not long after, the former champion took to X/Twitter with a much more interesting message directed at Strickland.
“@SStricklandMMA see you soon again,” Chimaev wrote.
That second post immediately sparked speculation.
Was Chimaev teasing an eventual rematch with Strickland? Or was he simply referring to the fact that both men will continue crossing paths in the UFC while he moves to another division?
During the UFC 328 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Chimaev told him directly after the fight that he plans to move up to Light Heavyweight and leave Middleweight behind.
If that’s the case, several blockbuster matchups immediately come to mind — including a long-discussed grudge match against Paulo Costa, which could easily serve as a title eliminator at 205 pounds.
Despite the loss, Chimaev’s Middleweight run was still wildly impressive. The 15-1 star racked up dominant wins over Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker (watch highlights), and Kamaru Usman, while becoming one of the biggest stars in the sport.
Now, a new chapter begins.
For complete UFC 328 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
