Khamzat Chimaev sends direct message to Dana White over frustrations about next UFC fight

Khamzat Chimaev is fed up with waiting to hear about his next fight.

The former UFC champion, who dropped the middleweight title to Sean Strickland last time out, badly wants to get back in the octagon as soon as possible to right the wrongs of his defeat.

Getty

In May, Chimaev suffered the first loss of his 16-fight professional MMA career when he met bitter rival Strickland in the main event of UFC 328.

Despite telling UFC CEO Dana White after the fight that he wanted to move up to the light heavyweight division, Chimaev has since made his intentions to get a rematch with Strickland clear.

And it seems tensions between Chimaev and the UFC brass are beginning to boil over based on the Russian’s comments on Tuesday.

Chimaev sends bold message to Dana White

“What are we waiting for?” Chimaev wrote on X, alongside a photo of White wrapping the UFC middleweight title around his waist when he won the belt against Dricus du Plessis last August.

“I want to fight Dana White.”

Chimaev remains the No. 1 contender at 185lbs in the UFC, with du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov, Joe Pyfer and Brendan Allen making up the top five.

While all of the aforementioned middleweight stars will be gunning to get their hands on Strickland in the near future, a rematch with Chimaev seems like the most likely destination for now.

After all, Chimaev vs Strickland was one of the UFC’s biggest fights of the year, as the pair exchanged nasty words in the build-up to their fight, which Strickland later apologised for.

Strickland is currently recovering from several shoulder injuries sustained in his victory over Chimaev, including a Grade 1 AC joint separation and partial rotator cuff tearing.

However, in a message to Chimaev last month, the champion revealed his ‘shoulder is getting solid’ and he just needs ‘a little longer to recover.’

Getty

“Chimaev keeps running his f***ing mouth,” Strickland said.

“Want me to teach you how to cut weight so you can stop b***ing for a second L?”

Chimaev responded: “This coward started talking again.”

“When you see me again, ask for forgiveness. You’re good at that.”

Referring to Strickland’s apology in the cage post-fight, the 32-year-old added: “The most important thing is, don’t cry like a girl next time.”

Strickland issued an apology to ‘American, Muslim and Christian fans’ after UFC 328, having made derogatory comments about Chimaev’s religion pre-fight.

Getty

The American was able to stop Chimaev from working on the ground during their New Jersey headliner, punishing the former champion with his jab and body shots to seal a close split decision win.

“There are two kinds of fighters in the UFC after a hard fight,” Strickland wrote on social media this week, seemingly taking aim at Chimaev.

“One. You walk into the gym broken, depressed and you get back to work.

“Or. Two. You vanish for months, hide, take the easy way out…

“I see this all the time. I’ve never respected number two. Pathetic and weak-minded.”

UFC Schedule

There are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.

The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.

On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.

With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.