Chimaev Open to Return at UFC 334 or 335
Khamzat Chimaev, still ranked as the #12 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, appears ready to accept a fight offer from middleweight contender Caio Borralho. Chimaev has not fought since losing the UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 328 in May. Initially, he claimed he would move to light heavyweight, but he has since changed his stance and now aims to reclaim his middleweight belt.[S1]
Borralho, currently ranked #6 in the Meta UFC middleweight rankings, responded quickly to Chimaev's social media list of possible opponents. He expressed his readiness to fight at Madison Square Garden in November or T-Mobile Arena in December, referring to UFC 334 and UFC 335. Chimaev appears open to meeting Borralho at one of those events, which are the last two major UFC cards of 2026.[S1]
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Borralho's Rise and Title Implications
Borralho began his UFC career with seven straight wins before dropping a decision to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris last year. He returned to the win column at UFC 326 by defeating Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision. A matchup with Chimaev would give the Brazilian a chance to vault straight into the title conversation at 185 pounds.[S1]
Borralho also took to Instagram, revealing he is preparing to start training camp ahead of some 'big news' coming this month. If the UFC books this fight, the next question becomes who will challenge Sean Strickland for the middleweight belt in lieu of an immediate rematch with Chimaev. Imavov, ranked #3, is on a five-fight win streak, while former titleholder Dricus du Plessis, ranked #2, holds two victories over Strickland. Joe Pyer, ranked #4, could also be a wildcard after stopping Israel Adesanya at UFC Seattle in March.[S1]
