Khamzat Chimaev has revealed his ambitious plans to become the UFC's first-ever three-division champion. Fresh off a strong winning streak and with a championship bout against Dricus Du Plessis looming at UFC 319, Chimaev is already looking beyond the middleweight belt, eyeing titles in the welterweight and light heavyweight classes as well. “Jack Della Maddalena would be a good fight for me. Go down… take the belt there. If I go up, there is Ankalaev and Alex Pereira… can fight for that belt as well,” Chimaev explained, signaling his multi-weight aspirations with unshakable confidence.
Khamzat Chimaev still has plans of becoming a triple champion 👀
“[Jack Della Maddalena] would be a good fight for me. Go down… take the belt there.
If I go up, there is Ankalaev and Alex Pereira… can fight for that belt as well.”
🎥 @espnmma #UFC319pic.twitter.com/ztdoDvP5Oc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 6, 2025
Khamzat Chimaev's Road to a Triple Crown
Khamzat Chimaev’s ambition to capture championships in three weight classes, welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight, is extraordinarily challenging yet intriguing for fight fans and insiders alike. Currently, Chimaev is preparing to challenge the reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Victory there would make him a titleholder, but rather than settling for one belt, Chimaev is prepared to immediately chase additional gold.
Only a couple weeks away 🤩 #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/w0k2ELkpuq
— UFC (@ufc) August 3, 2025
With a new coach guiding him, Chimaev believes cutting back down to welterweight is attainable. The current welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, stands in his sights. Chimaev discusses making the weight cut with confidence, aiming to assert dominance across multiple divisions. “I work with a new coach and talk to him about going down again to 170. He said gimme a couple months and I’m gonna make it. I don’t know who is the champ there, this Australian guy,” Chimaev remarked, making clear his intent to take that belt as well.
On the other side of the spectrum, Chimaev is also eyeing the light heavyweight division where current contenders like Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira are prominent. If one of those fighters claims the belt, Chimaev believes he can challenge and potentially capture that title too. The prospect of moving both up and down in weight classes to seize multiple belts echoes the rare feat attempted by few in UFC history, underscoring Chimaev’s confidence and relentless drive.
The UFC 319 Middleweight Title Showdown
The highly anticipated middleweight title bout between undefeated contender Khamzat Chimaev and reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis is set to headline UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago. This fight marks a pivotal moment for Chimaev as he attempts to capture his first UFC belt, a critical step in his quest to become the promotion’s first-ever three-division champion.
10 DAYS TO GO ⏳ #UFC319
Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev… who you got?! pic.twitter.com/gwrghVSp9O
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 6, 2025
Chimaev acknowledges Du Plessis’s unorthodox fighting style, which has earned him success in the 185-pound division, but remains confident in his own superiority. “Many people say he possesses a strange style… He’s effective and a skilled competitor. But I believe I am superior,” Chimaev stated during the UFC 319 media day. Known for his relentless grappling and early aggression, Chimaev plans to test Du Plessis on the mat. He emphasized that ground control, ground and pound, submissions, and wrestling will be key elements to break down the champion’s game.
Conditioning and stamina are areas Chimaev and his team have heavily focused on in preparation. Concerns about his endurance in fights that extend beyond the first round have surfaced based on prior bouts, but Chimaev’s new strength and conditioning coach, Joakim Karlsson, praises his improved stamina and training commitment leading up to this title shot. The fight promises a mix of striking and grappling exchanges as both athletes seek to impose their will over five rounds.
The buildup to the fight has also featured competitive trash talk on social media, with Chimaev adopting a businesslike approach: “We’re just here to make money and enjoy ourselves… defeating someone makes me happy.” Du Plessis, who was reportedly eager for the bout even on opponent’s turf, is motivated to retain his title and shock the MMA world by defeating the unbeaten challenger.
With the middleweight belt on the line, UFC 319 represents a defining chapter in Khamzat Chimaev’s career and the broader UFC landscape. A victory would secure him his first UFC title and validate his belief in challenging other weight divisions, bringing him one step closer to his historic ambition of becoming the first triple-division champion in UFC history.
Khamzat Chimaev’s plans to rewrite UFC history as the first triple division champion encapsulate the bold, daring nature of modern MMA competition. Whether he accomplishes this feat or not, Chimaev’s relentless pursuit of multiple titles promises thrilling fights and electrifies fans worldwide. His upcoming middleweight title bout at UFC 319 is just the opening chapter in what could become one of the sport’s most extraordinary legacies.
