Pizza-loving Khamzat Chimaev ‘hopes’ UFC 328 will be his final Middleweight fight – ‘I want big fights’

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 09: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia poses on the scale during the UFC 279 official weigh-in at UFC APEX on September 09, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Goodbye, 185?

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev is just days away from his first-ever title defense against bitter rival Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event this weekend (Sat., May 9, 2026) inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

But if things go according to plan, Chimaev may not stick around the division much longer.

In an era where champions increasingly chase double-champ status and money fights, “Borz” says he’s already thinking about bigger opportunities beyond Middleweight — and maybe more pizza, too.

“I hope so,” Chimaev told reporters when asked if UFC 328 could be his final fight at 185 pounds. “I like to eat pizza. We will see.”

Chimaev has repeatedly floated the idea of moving to Light Heavyweight to fight former champion , and he reiterated that interest this week. If at next month, Chimaev expects “Poatan” to move back down to 205 pounds — setting up a blockbuster showdown.