Khamzat Chimaev has made his plan clear: no interim fight, no tune up, just a wait for whoever comes out on top between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov.

Chimaev has not fought since dropping his middleweight title to Strickland via split decision at UFC 328 on May 9. He still believes that fight went his way.

'I should fight the winner because I'm the number one contender. I didn't lose that match.

Our tracker still has him ranked number one at middleweight despite the loss, and his Elo sits at 1549 across four tracked bouts. Strickland, the current champion, rates just four points lower at 1545 over nine bouts, a number that reflects how close their first meeting really was. Imavov, ranked third, actually rates above both of them at 1584 across six bouts, which makes his case for a title shot just as strong if he gets past Strickland.

That is the problem with Chimaev's plan. Sitting out costs him nothing on paper since the rankings already have him on top, but it also means the winner of Strickland vs Imavov gets to pick their own pace while he waits on the sidelines. The division continues moving forward regardless, and staying inactive puts his immediate future entirely in the hands of how that championship bout plays out.

Chimaev remains firm that his next walk to the cage will be for the undisputed belt. Nothing is official yet, but Strickland vs Imavov now carries extra weight for the division and whoever ends up standing across from Chimaev next.