There is a new UFC champion. Khamzat Chimaev! UFC 319 delivered exactly what fans had hoped for, as Dana White and his team brought a stacked card to a sold-out Chicago arena. Headlining the event was the year’s most anticipated showdown: reigning champion Dricus du Plessis versus the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. And in a gripping, intense battle, fan-favorite ‘Borz’ finally managed to snatch the middleweight belt from DDP!

It was a fitting return for the Chechen standout, making his first appearance on American soil since September 2022. He had been facing visa issues back then. But as he stood across du Plessis in the octagon in Chicago, many fans were unsure if he could get the job done. After all, his stamina was in question; he had experienced a series of health issues in the recent past, including Covid-19; Chimaev also never competed in a full five-round championship bout.

However, he dominated the South African contender in every round and showed no signs of slowing down. Determined to cement his legacy, he will likely shift his attention toward the upcoming UFC Paris main event, where Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho will clash. After all, the winner between them could emerge as the next challenger.

As per UFC’s rankings, Imavov is the #1 challenger while Borralho is at #6 in the middleweight division. These rankings are from before the Chimaev versus du Plessis fight (and subject to change). Other potential challengers include former champion and No. 2 contender Sean Strickland, who is actively building a rivalry with the Chechen star, as well as Reinier de Ridder at #5, whose name remains impossible to ignore in the mix.

With the championship now firmly around his waist, Khamzat Chimaev has finally realized a long-awaited dream. After a career plagued by canceled bouts, hospitalizations, and doubts over his endurance, he proved his critics wrong. And after a long time, he showcased flawless cardio—a performance many attribute to the grueling, “Rocky-style” conditioning program of his coach, Sam Calavitta.

UFC middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, talks about his career and next move

Earlier this year, Borralho, Khamzat Chimaev’s former training partner and now a potential future opponent, made waves by suggesting that the Chechen phenom might retire after dethroning Dricus Du Plessis. The notion reportedly traces back to Chimaev’s mother, who had long expressed that she didn’t want to see her son injured or inflict serious harm on anyone else. In 2022, ‘Borz’ publicly confirmed he had promised his mother he would retire once he achieved his championship goal.

“So my goal is to be no. 1 and then I will retire,” he said that year. Now, having tasted both success and the financial rewards of holding a UFC belt, Khamzat Chimaev may have persuaded his mother to let him continue competing. Earlier this month, he shared his plans to chase titles in multiple divisions:

“Jack Della Maddalena would be a good fight for me. Go down… take the belt there. If I go up, there is Ankalaev and Alex Pereira… I can fight for that belt as well…,” Chimaev said, underlining his intent to dominate across weight classes with unshakable confidence.

At 31, Chimaev surely has a couple more prime years left. He has extended his unbeaten streak to an impressive 15-0, and under the guidance of his new strength and conditioning coaches, all eyes will be on whether he attempts a return to 170 pounds—a division where he previously proved virtually unstoppable. What do you think?