Aug 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, UNITED STATES; Khamzat Chimaev (blue gloves) reacts after the fight against Dricus Du Plessis Murphy (red gloves) during UFC 319 at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Khamzat Chimaev Stirs Controversy With Outlandish Statement On Fighting Alex Pereira!

Khamzat Chimaev never fails to make headlines, even when he hasn’t defended his middleweight title yet. The undefeated champion recently set the MMA world buzzing with some bold claims about moving up to light heavyweight. His target? None other than Alex Pereira, the knockout artist who just dismantled Magomed Ankalaev. But Chimaev didn’t stop at calling out ‘Poatan’. He took things to another level with a statement that left fans scratching their heads.

‘Borz’ is expected to defend his belt against Nassourdine Imavov soon, which makes sense given the Frenchman’s impressive winning streak. But apparently, that fight doesn’t excite Chimaev enough. Instead, he’s already looking past potential challengers at 185 pounds and eyeing bigger prey at 205. The confidence radiating from the Chechen fighter is nothing new, but what he said next crossed into absurd territory.

Khamzat Chimaev Throws The Two-For-One Fight Challenge

Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) issued a bold challenge when he claimed he could beat both Alex Pereira and his coach Glover Teixeira in the same night. Chimaev talked about this on his Instagram that he could take on both the reigning light heavyweight champion and his legendary coach simultaneously. The statement was vintage ‘Borz,’ full of swagger and completely over the top.

“Of course, brother, I could beat him with his coach (Glover) Teixeira together. I will beat them both sometime.”

Khamzat Chimaev says he could beat Alex Pereira and his coach Glover Teixeira together 👀🔥

"Of course, brother, I could beat him with his coach Teixeira together. I will beat them both sometimes." pic.twitter.com/hMeDtb0WDT
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 9, 2025

Glover Teixeira is a former UFC light heavyweight champion who retired after an incredible career. The man is 46 years old and hasn’t fought professionally in over two years. Chimaev calling him out alongside Pereira feels less like a serious challenge and more like theatrical trash talk designed to grab attention.

The whole thing raises an obvious question. Why is Chimaev talking about fighting at light heavyweight when he hasn’t even defended his middleweight title once? He won the belt by dominating Dricus du Plessis, but now it seems like he’s already bored with the division. Nassourdine Imavov deserves his shot after putting together a fantastic run, yet here’s Chimaev fantasizing about moving up and fighting two people at once.

His comments about fighting Pereira and Teixeira together will likely be dismissed as typical fighter talk. Nobody actually expects the UFC to book a handicap match. But the statement does reveal something about Chimaev’s mindset. He genuinely believes he’s on another level from everyone else. Whether that confidence proves justified remains to be seen, especially since he needs to start defending his actual title first before dreaming about fighting at light heavyweight.

(Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Glover Teixeira

Khamzat Chimaev

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!