Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Dana White Lays Out the Road to Khamzat Chimaev’s First Title Defense After UFC 319 Triumph

Dana White reveals who could challenge Khamzat Chimaev next.

Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Khamzat Chimaev may not have to wait long to learn who his first title defense will be against. After Chimaev’s five-round victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 to claim the middleweight crown, Dana White revealed that the new champion’s next challenger will likely emerge from one of two upcoming headliners. Either Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho on September 6 in Paris or Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez on October 18 in Vancouver.

🚨 Dana White says the next challenger for Khamzat Chimaev's title could be either the winner of RDR vs Fluffy OR Imavov vs Borralho 👀

"We'll see how this whole thing plays out, and we're gonna end up with a middleweight challenger for Khamzat Chimaev's title…

These fights… pic.twitter.com/6hTwSMzs2k
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 19, 2025

Who’s Next for Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev?

White dropped the update during a wave of fight announcements on Tuesday night, confirming that both middleweight bouts will serve as high-stakes eliminators. “We’ll see how this whole thing plays out,” White said on Instagram Live. “We’re gonna end up with a middleweight challenger for Khamzat Chimaev’s title that he just won [over Dricus du Plessis]. So these fights have massive implications.”

Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez has been riding a wave of momentum since his fourth-round submission win over Roman Dolidze. Now, he’s stepping into another main event, this time against former ONE double champion Reinier de Ridder. Since arriving in the UFC, de Ridder has quickly silenced doubts, collecting three wins in four fights, including a split-decision win over ex-champion Robert Whittaker in Abu Dhabi.

Khamzat Chimaev has moved up 10 spots into the top-4 on the latest men's pound-for-pound rankings 👏 pic.twitter.com/I0ANU2ad63
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 19, 2025

Meanwhile, the Paris card will feature a clash of rising names in Imavov and Borralho. Imavov has steadily climbed the ranks with his technical striking and durability, while Borralho, who served as the backup fighter at UFC 319, is eager to prove he belongs in the title picture. Both men know a statement win in front of the French crowd could launch them straight into a clash with Borz.

Chimaev himself hinted at wanting a swift turnaround, saying he hopes to be ready for UFC 321 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi. That timeline could align perfectly with the winner of the Vancouver or Paris bouts, setting the stage for the UFC’s newest champion to defend his belt before year’s end.

#UFCVancouver has a main event and it's Reinier de Ridder vs. Anthony Hernandez in what looks like a middleweight title eliminator 🏆 pic.twitter.com/EOSZEDJjyc
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 19, 2025

For now, all eyes turn to September 6 in Paris and October 18 in Vancouver, where four contenders will fight not just for a win, but for the chance to stand across the cage from one of the UFC’s most dominant new champions.

Mandatory Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Anthony Hernandez

Caio Borralho

Dana White

Khamzat Chimaev

Nassourdine Imavov

Reinier de Ridder

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.