Khamzat Chimaev gets honest about potentially becoming three-division champion ahead of Dricus du Plessis fight

Khamzat Chimaev feels confident in his ability to win three divisional titles in the UFC, a feat that has yet to be achieved. He is set to challenge champion Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 and enters the fight as a -185 favorite.

Currently working with strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta at The Treigning Lab, Chimaev believes he can successfully drop down to welterweight while also being capable of competing in the light heavyweight division.

In a recent interview, Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA recalled that Chimaev had previously stated his goal of becoming a three-division UFC champion. When asked if his ambition had changed, Chimaev replied:

"No, it has not changed. I started working with a new coach, Coach Calavitta. I spoke to him about going back down to [welterweight]. He said he's going to give me a couple of months [to prepare for welterweight] and we're going to make it."

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He added:

"[Jack Della Maddalena] will be a good fight for me, and we will go down [the weight class] and fight him as well. [We] could win the belt there. And if I go up [to light heavyweight], there is Ankalaev and Alex Pereira. They're fighting now and whoever wins, I can fight for that belt as well."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (13:27):

Chimaev had a dominant run in the welterweight division before making a permanent transition to middleweight. While he remained undefeated at welterweight, many experts believe that the weight cut negatively impacted his performance, particularly against elite competitors such as Gilbert Burns.

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Despite the goal to become a triple champion, UFC titles do not mean the world to Khamzat Chimaev

Winning and holding the divisional titles contribute significantly to defining a fighter's legacy in the sport. However, Khamzat Chimaev said that the title itself does not motivate him to perform better.

In the aforementioned interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Chimaev expressed that winning the championship belt will bring financial opportunities, allowing him to provide for his family. He cited this as his primary reason for pursuing championship gold in the UFC:

"For me, the most impoortant thing is to make money and give a good life to my family. So, I think about my opponent and give importance to beat that guy. It's not important to have the bellt. If I beat him, of course, you're going to have a belt as well." [12:05]

He added:

"[The belt symbolizes] giving a better life... For example, a guy like Jon Jones won so many belts in his career. But he's going to finish the career and going to stay with his family. That's the important thing... It's most important to put the food on the table, have a good life for your family." [12:43]

The fight against Dricus du Plessis will mark the first title opportunity of Chimaev's UFC career. He defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in a title eliminator bout to earn this chance.

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Edited by Rajneesh Suhas Reddy