Khamzat Chimaev’s push for an immediate rematch with Sean Strickland has hit a wall after former champion Dricus du Plessis dismissed the idea as senseless.
What happened?
On 18 May at UFC 328, Sean Strickland pulled off a split-decision upset to take the UFC middleweight title from Chimaev. The result handed Strickland the belt despite Chimaev never making a single successful title defense after beating du Plessis at UFC 319 the previous summer. Since then, Chimaev has publicly demanded a rematch, but the UFC has yet to confirm the fight.
Why it matters for Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev’s title reign is now under scrutiny because he never defended the belt once. Du Plessis, who lost the belt to Chimaev but later defended it twice, called a potential Strickland–Chimaev rematch “ridiculous” in an interview with Submission Radio ahead of his own return at UFC Oklahoma City. “Between Sean and Khamzat, there is no title defenses,” du Plessis said. “I defended my title twice. The Khamzat rematch is ridiculous. It doesn’t make any sense.”
The UFC’s habit of booking marquee fights could still override merit, du Plessis admitted. “If they do it, it is what it is. It will be crazy, but let them do what they need to do.” He added that he’ll simply fight his way back to the top regardless.
What comes next?
Du Plessis steps into the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City against Kamaru Usman. A win could vault him past Chimaev and into a potential trilogy with Strickland, whom he has already beaten twice. Chimaev, meanwhile, remains on the outside looking in after his lone title defense attempt ended in a split-decision loss.
Du Plessis is a heavy betting favorite over Usman, who has spent most of his career at welterweight. The fight serves as du Plessis’s first outing since his one-sided loss to Chimaev in October 2024, a performance he now aims to erase with a statement victory.