If Khamzat Chimaev gets to share the Octagon with Alex Pereira, he might just tempt fate.
It’s hard for MMA fans to imagine that if Chimaev were to meet “Poatan” he won’t attempt takedowns right away. Pereira is viewed as one of the UFC’s most dangerous strikers today. He dusted Magomed Ankalaev in just over a minute to reclaim the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in early October.
In an interview with Aslanbek Badaev, covered by Red Corner MMA, Chimaev hinted at possibly testing his striking against Pereira if the two ever collide.
Khamzat Chimaev makes it clear that he’s ready for a new test and wants to fight Alex Pereira at light heavyweight 💪👀
“I’d love to chase that second belt at light heavyweight. It’s a good match-up for me.”
(via Aslanbek Badaev) pic.twitter.com/JzKJSU0PtC
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 15, 2025
“If you ask me, of course I would love to fight for the second belt,” Chimaev said. “It’s no secret the guy who’s got the belt at 205 pounds now is a very good matchup for me – except for should I get reckless standing with him. They say he has a lot of power, but I’ve never been edged out in that area. He used to fight at 185, too, and then moved up to 205. so I would like to fight at light heavyweight.”
Chimaev then said that he’s open to any middleweight title challenger for his next fight. He named Nassourdine Imavov, Reinier de Ridder, and Anthony Hernandez. Imavov is fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Caio Borralho. “RDR” will meet Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver on Saturday, as “Fluffy” Hernandez was pulled from the headliner due to an injury.
In his last outing back in August, Chimaev dominated Dricus du Plessis to capture the UFC Middleweight Championship. “DDP” couldn’t get anything going. While many expected du Plessis to scramble more, Chimaev had nearly 22 minutes of control time.
Many expect Imavov to be next in line for a shot at Chimaev, but it could depend on de Ridder’s performance against Allen. Allen is known for being a tough out for anyone, so if “RDR” can pull off a finish, it might push him past Imavov.