"This is SMASH EVERYBODY" - Khamzat Chimaev doubles down on wanting to fight Alex Pereira

Khamzat Chimaev has reignited his long-running pursuit of a potential fight against Alex Pereira. The UFC middleweight king doubled down with a heavyweight challenge to create the idea of one of the sport’s biggest cross-divisional fights.

The fresh callout came just hours after Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title with a knockout win over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320. Chimaev took to X and wrote:

"I'm ready to fight you in the heavyweight. You won't find a super fight than our fight. No Chama, this is SMASH EVERYBODY!"

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below:

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The rivalry between Chimaev and Pereira has simmered for years, built on social media exchanges, stylistic contrasts, and the allure of a “super fight” between two explosive fighters. Chimaev has long viewed Pereira as the perfect striker to test his wrestling dominance against.

Meanwhile, Pereira’s rise through two divisions has made him one of the sport’s most sought-after opponents. Chimaev continues to insist that his pressure-heavy approach would neutralize Pereira’s knockout power.

With Pereira now flirting with the idea of moving up in pursuit of a potential three-division championship status, Chimaev’s timing was deliberate as he reintroduced a rivalry that fans have followed since its earliest sparks in 2023.

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When John McCarthy broke down how Khamzat Chimaev could handle Alex Pereira’s power

John McCarthy was among the first to assess a potential clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira. Pereira had just completed a dominant 2024, defending his title with three knockouts, while Chimaev collected a dominant first-round submission victory against Robert Whittaker.

McCarthy viewed the matchup as a collision of precision and pressure, where Pereira’s timing and power would be tested against Chimaev’s takedowns. The intrigue, he noted, came from whether Pereira could stay upright long enough to land clean.

Speaking on episode #533 of the WEIGHING IN podcast, McCarthy said:

“Chimaev, you know he’s gonna come out and wrestle. You know he’s gonna shoot that damn double leg from across the cage. Can you stop it? We know exactly where 'Poatan' is strong. We know exactly what he can do. Can he knock Chimaev out? Absolutely, he can knock him out, everyone can get knocked out. But can Alex stop the takedown?”

He added:

“If he can’t stop the takedown, does he stop the submission? Because Chimaev is good at going after chokes, and he’s good at doing damage. But if Pereira survives and gets back to his feet for another round, where are we at? That’s what makes this fight exciting and interesting.”

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar