Video: UFC 328’s Khamzat Chimaev ‘doesn’t care’ about infrequent fight schedule – ‘I make more money outside UFC’
Times have changed for “Borz. ” Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is set to defend his title for the first time next month (Sat. , May 9, 2026) against heated rival Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
When Chimaev burst onto the scene in […]
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 16: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia reacts after round four against Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 319 event at the United Center on August 16, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Times have changed for “Borz. ” Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is set to defend his title for the first time next month (Sat.
, May 9, 2026) against heated rival Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. When Chimaev burst onto the scene in 2020 , he became an instant star by fighting three times in rapid succession, making UFC history as it was the fastest three-fight winning streak in modern UFC . It was a pace that built massive expectations around his activity level moving forward.
That pace didn’t last. Since then, Chimaev has fought far less frequently, often limited to once per year. Some of that has been out of his control — including health issues and travel restrictions that kept him competing primarily in the Middle East.