Khamzat Chimaev isn’t having an easy time finding a ranked opponent.
The rising prospect is expected to headline his first UFC Fight Night show, according to Dana White himself; however, the issue is that Chimaev doesn’t have an opponent just yet. Despite his stunning knockouts over John Phillips, Rhys McKee, and Gerald Meerschaert, Chimaev remains unranked.
The UFC President promised Chimaev a ranked opponent, but it appears that some of the top tier fighters just aren’t interested in facing the newcomer anytime soon as Chimaev revealed that both Stephen Thompson and former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman turned down fights against him:
The news that Thompson turned down a fight against Chimaev isn’t surprising as “Wonderboy” himself revealed that the fight didn’t make sense to him. Like Thompson, Weidman and Edwards likely feel the same way about facing an unranked opponent.
However, former UFC Welterweight title challenger Darren Till stepped up and offered to fight Chimaev if the 26-year-old doesn’t find an opponent following his bout against Jack Hermansson on Dec. 4th:
Thus far, Chimaev has yet to respond. There's no word on when Chimaev is expected to make his return to the octagon, but we’ll keep you updated when his next match-up is confirmed.