The road to a title shot in the UFC can sometimes be long and arduous. However, fighters who consistently win and in a dominant fashion can often find themselves competing for gold.
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It has been a long journey for Khamzat Chimaev, the current No. 3 middleweight contender. After posting a 16-0 record, along with an eight-fight streak in the UFC, he is set to finally get a title shot.
Following UFC 311, Dana White was speaking to reporters and was asked if Chimaev would get a title shot following the match between Dricuss Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.
"Yeah, I think he probably gets the next shot," White responded to the question about Chimaev getting the next middleweight title shot.
Chimaev has been on a tear since he entered the UFC, fighting twice in a matter of days to kick off his career with the organization.
Chimaev submitted John Phillips on July 15, 2020, only to return on July 25, 2020, and defeat Rhys McKee by KO/TKO. The upstart middleweight became an instant hit following his emergence in the UFC.
Despite his rocket start, Chimaev would undergo some strong adversity. The first was him contracting COVID-19 in Dec. 2020. The middleweight was hit hard by the virus, leading to multiple hospitalizations and nearly quitting the fighting game.
Chimaev was set to face Leon Edwards, but couldn't do so due to the toll the virus took on his body. Following the cancelation, Chimaev would ultimately return and pick up wins against Li Jiangling, Gilbert Burns, and Kevin Holland.
Holland was fight given to Chimaev following his massive weight miss of 7.5 pounds when he was meant to take on Nate Diaz. Despite the issue, Chimaev still faced every challenge he was given.
Chimaev's most recent victory is likely a major reason why White has no choice but to offer him a middleweight title fight.
Chimaev faced arguably his biggest challenge on Oct. 26, 2024. He faced off against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker had also been on a rebound of his own, picking up back-to-back wins en route to wanting to challenge for the belt again.
Despite the high-level opponent, Chimaev came in strong, submitting Whittaker in spectacular fashion in the first round. The result of the fight led to a gruesome mouth injury for Whittaker, as his teeth were pushed back into his mouth.
With Chimaev easily dispatching one of the best middleweights in the world, he is now in line for a title fight.
Du Plessis took to social media to state that he would love to take away Chimaev's undefeated record, but that will have to wait. For now, he is set to face off against former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
White might have Chimaev as the backup fighter for the match, but it would be believed the Russian star would get the next title shot between whoever wins the middleweight belt in February.
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