Khamzat Chimaev was a man of few words following his upset loss to Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event. After relinquishing the middleweight title in a split-decision defeat on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Chimaev exited the Octagon without doing the post-fight interview that is typical of main event competitors.

While "Borz" did not speak in the immediate aftermath of his first career loss, he did release a statement on social media implying that he might not be done with Strickland.

"See you soon again," Chimaev wrote on X.

Dana White: Chimaev Wants to Move to 205

Chimaev's future plans are also murky based on what UFC CEO Dana White said at Saturday's post-fight press conference. White revealed that Chimaev approached him immediately after the fight with a clear message.

"Khamzat literally walked up to me after the fight and said 'I want to move up. I don't want to fight in this weight class anymore,'" White said.

Chimaev has hinted at a move to 205 pounds on multiple occasions, including callouts of ex-light heavyweight king Alex Pereira. Chimaev, who previously fought at 170 pounds, appeared to endure a difficult weight cut ahead of UFC 328. While Chimaev could be in line for an immediate rematch with Strickland given the close nature of the defeat, White seemed optimistic regarding the fighter's UFC future at 205 pounds.

"I'm not even thinking about who he will fight next," White said. "But him moving up is exciting."

What "See You Soon Again" Means

Chimaev and Strickland are former training partners, so it is possible that the Chechen standout could be referencing a future sparring session rather than a title rematch. Given Chimaev typically has long stretches of inactivity between bouts (he has fought just once a year since 2023), it could be a while before fans get a definitive answer on his next move.

Even before suffering his first loss, Chimaev had mentioned on multiple occasions that he would like to become a champion at 205 pounds.

Immediate Rematch Unclear

While an immediate rematch is a possibility if Chimaev sticks around at middleweight, Strickland also has a healthy line of potential challengers for his second reign. These include rematches with top contenders Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen, who first has to get past Edmen Shahbazyan in June, or fresh fights against Caio Borralho and Joe Pyfer.

Strickland won a narrow split decision over Chimaev to become a two-time UFC champion at 185 pounds, a feat only matched by Israel Adesanya, whom Strickland defeated to win his first title at UFC 293. The scorecards were close, with Strickland earning the nod via 48-47 scores on two judges' cards. Post-fight, the two were cordial, a stark contrast to weeks of heated pre-fight trash talk, with Chimaev even putting the belt around Strickland's waist.