A former UFC middleweight champion says Khamzat Chimaev’s days as the division’s champion could be numbered due to a staggering gain.

UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev’s first title defense still hasn’t been finalized more than half a year after his championship victory. Chimaev dethroned Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319 last year, utilizing his elite wrestling to pitch a shutout inside the Octagon.

Since UFC 319, Chimaev has teased potentially moving up to light heavyweight to fight Alex Pereira, although this was before Pereira vacated the 205-pound belt to move up to heavyweight. Despite Pereira’s light heavyweight leave, Chimaev remains focused on eventually moving up a division and challenging for another title.

Chimaev has a potential showdown with top middleweight Nassourdine Imavov on his radar for his next title defense, despite a recent impressive win by former champion Sean Strickland. UFC CEO Dana White recently claimed that Chimaev will need to defend the belt at least once before exploring a move out of the division.

But a middleweight return for Chimaev might be more difficult after an alleged staggering weight gain during his injury-related hiatus.

Michael Bisping reveals Khamzat Chimaev is a long way from middleweight limit

In a recent appearance on TNT Sports‘ UFC 326 preview show, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping revealed Chimaev’s walk-around weight that could hinder a middleweight return.

“I spoke to him last week; the man’s walking around at 240lbs!” Bisping said of Chimaev.

“He’s gotta shed some weight before he even thinks about defending that belt.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Before winning the UFC middleweight title, Chimaev was on the verge of challenging for the welterweight belt, but a botched weight cut at UFC 279. Chimaev was supposed to fight Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event before weighing in significantly above the 170-pound limit.

If Bisping’s claims are true, Chimaev’s middleweight days could be numbered. As of this writing, it’s uncertain how long Chimaev will be sidelined to recover from his recent injuries and his middleweight future.

Do you think Khamzat Chimaev will fight at middleweight ever again? Let us know in the comments!