Backed to fight for the title in his return to action, Khamzat Chimaev has warned his UFC middleweight peers that if afforded the opportunity to compete for gold next — nobody at 185lbs can stop his championship reign.
Chimaev, who retains the number three rank at middleweight, has been sidelined since last October, where he turned in his stunning fourteenth straight win with a spectacular first round face crank submission win over former champion, Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi.
And pegged by UFC CEO, Dana White to fight for a championship in his return to action off the back of the win, the long-time promotional boss confirmed Chimaev will likely challenge either Dricus du Plessis or Sean Strickland for gold — with the duo set to rematch next month at UFC 312.