Social media has become the preferred battleground for modern fighters to start feuds and build hype. A single post can spark months of back-and-forth trash talk between competitors. Champions love teasing their next moves, dropping cryptic messages that send fans into speculation overdrive. And Khamzat Chimaev is milking social media very well.
Alex Pereira has been chasing heavyweight gold ever since reclaiming his light heavyweight championship at UFC 320. The Brazilian superstar already holds middleweight and light heavyweight titles, making him one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. His striking power translates across weight classes, turning opponents into highlight reels regularly. Now Chimaev has hit back at Alex Pereira, firing a brutal dig at the Brazilian’s triple champion ambitions.
Few days ago, Pereira posted a picture on social media holding his middleweight and light heavyweight titles. The caption read “2+1 = 3 Chama,” which many in the MMA community immediately interpreted as his intention to capture UFC heavyweight gold. That would make him a three-division champion, the first in UFC history.
He’s been vocal about moving to UFC heavyweight with real urgency lately. Fighting at 265 pounds would give him access to massive fights against legends like Jon Jones, who Pereira has expressed interest in facing at the planned White House event. His knockout power has proven effective at middleweight and light heavyweight, suggesting it would carry over to heavyweight as well.
True to form, Pereira’s post got on Khamzat Chimaev’s radar quickly. The Chechen-born fighter wasted no time firing back with a clapback that needed only two characters to convey his message. Chimaev simply commented “-1″ on the post, implying he would take away one of Pereira’s existing titles, implying the light heavyweight title.
Khamzat Chimaev's comment under Alex Pereira's post 👀😳
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 30, 2025
"-1" pic.twitter.com/VvfSF1FyR1
That’s cold, simple, and effective trash talk. No lengthy paragraphs needed, just mathematical certainty that Chimaev believes he’d beat Pereira and strip him of championship gold. Khamzat Chimaev has been hot on Pereira’s tail ever since the Brazilian reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title. That willingness to chase Pereira across weight classes shows genuine interest in proving himself against one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Chimaev previously told Michael Bisping that he believes Pereira is an easy matchup for him stylistically. However, ‘Borz’ showed respect by admitting Pereira could knock him out in pure standup exchanges. But Chimaev considers himself one of the best grapplers and wrestlers, claiming Pereira isn’t on that level defensively.
(Image Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski – Imagn Images)
mma 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!
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