LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White says Khamzat Chimaev’s weight issues have led to a debate between matchmakers, with him stuck in the middle.
Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) came in 7.8 pounds over the welterweight limit for his originally scheduled UFC 279 headliner against Nate Diaz earlier this month. The huge miss lead to a card shuffle, resulting in Chimaev being booked against Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight bout.
Chimaev ran through Holland with ease, but does his future lie at welterweight or middleweight? White says matchmakers were left in a quandary when discussing the unbeaten star’s future.
“There’s obviously 170 and 185 pounds,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters Tuesday at the UFC Apex. “There was a big beef today at matchmaking whether he could make 170 pounds, whether we should even let him make 170 pounds again. Those are all the things that we’re kicking around right now.”
Chimaev, who’s No. 3 in the official UFC welterweight rankings, hinted at middleweight for his next fight, but he did not rule out his title aspirations at 170 pounds. White said the UFC will discuss the situation with Chimaev and his team.
Whatever Chimaev wants, White said he’ll ultimately support.
“I’m in the middle,” White said. “I’m in the, ‘What does he want to do?’ Where does he want to be, and what does he want to do? Does he want to make 170 and go for the title at 170, or does he want to go to 185 and go for the title there? …
“That was the big debate we had today in the matchmaking meeting. One guy said one thing, one guy said another thing. And then I said, ‘What does he really want?’ Somebody get in there and figure out what he really wants to do, and let’s figure it out, and let’s make a fight.”
