As we all know, Khamzat Chimaev is a one-person wrecking crew who decimates his opponents promptly. As we also know, Chimaev struggles with his weight fighting at 170 pounds. This begs the question of who he will fight next and at which weight class he will be at. Chimaev is just as explosive at 185 as he is at 170 pounds, which was on full display at his Middleweight debut in 2020 when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds with one punch to the head. He was also dominant in his win against Kevin Holland at a “Catchweight” bout, wrestling him to the ground and choking him out within the first few minutes of the fight. This leaves fight fans with a few questions: 

Is Chimaev better fighting at 185 pounds than he is fighting at 170 pounds?

With only two fights in the 185 division, Khamzat is perfectly fine at Welterweight. His coaches would like him to stay in that weight class due to his current ranking in the division, which falls at number three. Khamzat is not ranked in the Middleweight division because most fights have occurred at 170 pounds. Chimaev constantly speaks about the Middleweight division like it is his weight class. He has called out numerous 185-pounders as well as given others praise. Chimaev has called out Marvin Vettori, Sean Strickland, Robert Whittaker, and the current champion Alex Pereira and has praised fighters like Israel Adeysayna and Bo Nickal. 

Where Can We see Chimaev next?

Khamzat Chimaev is in the top three in the Welterweight division but hasn’t fought in almost a year. Undoubtedly, he would rank in the top-five in the Middleweight division if he constantly fought at that weight. There is no doubt that Kamaru Usman is next for Chimaev due to the loss to Leon Edwards. For Usman, he must fight Chimaev to get one step closer to getting his Welterweight title back. If Chimaev does decide to move up in weight, a fight with Robert Whittaker will propel his career into title contention. Either way, Chimaev is in a great spot to get a title shot at either weight class, and the next time he fights, everyone will be tuned in.