UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will take some time off before his first title defense.
Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) dominated Dricus Du Plessis to claim the 185-pound title at UFC 319 in August. He is currently in Doha, Qatar to corner Arman Tsarukyan for his main event against Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night 265 on Saturday.
Advertisement
Chimaev faced little to no resistance in his title-winning performance over Du Plessis, but the undefeated phenom revealed that an issue in his foot will delay him until after Ramadan, which is expected to take place from Feb. 17 until Mar. 19, 2026.
“My return, after Ramadan,” Chimaev told Adam Zubayraev. “Right now I have a small operation in my foot. I’ll step away from training for a couple of weeks, heal my wound. We’ll prepare after Ramadan, and whoever they give, that’s who I’ll face.”
A plethora of middleweight contenders await Chimaev. Nassourdine Imavov further solidified his case with his fifth-straight win over Caio Borralho in September, and Brendan Allen scored a big upset win over Reinier de Ridder in October. Anthony Hernandez is also on an eight-fight winning streak.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why UFC champ Khamzat Chimaev won’t return until after Ramadan
