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.

🚨 Khamzat Chimaev says he'll be out until after Ramadan (mid-March) due to a 'small operation' on his foot "My return – after Ramadan. Right now I have a small operation on my foot. I'll step away from training for a couple of weeks, heal my wound. So we’ll prepare after… pic.twitter.com/OKPHz2jqm5

It appears the UFC middleweight division is headed for a slowdown, with champion Khamzat Chimaev announcing a short-term MMA hiatus due to a foot injury. Suffice it to say, the fans are furious.

Georges St-Pierre shared high praise for UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) put on one of the most dominant championship performances when he dethroned Dricus Du Plessis in a lopsided unanimous decision win at UFC 319. Chimaev took Du Plessis down 12 times and had over 21 minutes of control time.

Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev out for 5 Months with foot injury, reports suggest title defense will be delayed until mid-2026.

While Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov were never true enemies, they did share a brief rivalry, which was nipped in the bud by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Former UFC middleweight champion Rockhold says Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) has the best chance against Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC).

This past weekend, Islam Makhachev etched his name into the history books, dominating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. The performance earned Makhachev his second UFC title and drew comparisons to Khamzat Chimaev’s suffocating win over Dricus du Plessis earlier this year.