Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov is officially signed and will go down for the UFC Middleweight Title in 2026.
Chimaev aims to make a successful first defence of his 185-pound title against the #2 ranked middleweight contender Imavov with an official date and venue to be confirmed.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov Officially Signed With Date TBC
It has been confirmed that Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov is officially signed with confirmation pending from Dana White for a huge UFC Middleweight Title fight in 2026.
No official date or venue has been confirmed, but it is likely that Chimaev’s first UFC Middleweight Title defence will be against the #2 ranked Imavov in the early part of next year.
Ilia Topuria vs Paddy Pimblett is confirmed for UFC 324 on January 10 next year, and it now looks like Chimaev vs Imavov will go down in the months after for UFC gold in the middleweight division.
An official announcement is rumoured to be imminent from Dana White himself, with UFC 325 and UFC 326 being eyed for this 185-pound title showdown. The key factor to consider is whether the fight will go down before or after Ramadan, which is from February 17 to March 18.
If Chimaev vs Imavov is to happen before Ramadan, the official announcement from UFC President White is imminent, with a fight date in last January or early February the likely timeframe for the bout.
Should it happen after Ramadan, it could well take place in late spring/early summer, depending on when Chimaev and Imavov can commence training once again after his month of fasting.
Both fighters are of course Muslims, meaning they will not be able to train as they normally would during Ramadan, hence the potential push back to May/June for their UFC Middleweight Title showdown.
Although a date and venue is yet to be confirmed, Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov is officially signed and will take place next year.
BREAKING NEWS 🚨
Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov is officially signed (date and location TBD) pic.twitter.com/VccXPr3ZDF
— Rueben Carter🥇 (@realruebenking) November 17, 2025
Who Will Be The Chimaev vs Imavov Favourite?
As the fourth most followed UFC fighter on Instagram, Khamzat Chimaev is evidently a popular mixed martial artist. He is even more popular now following his victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 back in August where he won the UFC Middleweight Title.
With Chimaev now officially signed to defend his 185-pound crown against the #2 ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov next, MMA fans are wondering who the favourite will be for the match-up.
It comes as no surprise to learn that the Chimaev vs Imavov favourite will of course be the champion himself. ‘Borz’ has looked so dominant in his undefeated MMA career to date, making light work of du Plessis last time out too to become the middleweight king.
Although Imavov is on a five-fight winning streak which includes wins over former champion Israel Adesanya and a one-sided unanimous decision over Caio Borralho last time out, price-setters won’t be giving him much of a chance against ‘Borz’.
This just goes to show the sheer dominance of Chimaev, who is also ranked at #4 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. He has been favourite in every single one of his UFC fights to date, which is why Chimaev’s record is a perfect 15-0 with 12 stoppage victories.
Keep your eyes peeled for an official date and venue announcement from UFC kingpin Dana White himself.
Khamzat Chimaev vs Nassourdine Imavov will serve as part of the new UFC Paramount+ broadcast deal in the New Year in what will be Chimaev’s first UFC Middleweight Title defence and Imavov’s first shot at UFC gold. Strap in.
