Khamzat Chimaev shows his appreciation for Artur Beterbiev as rematch against Dmitry Bivol nears

Khamzat Chimaev last entered the octagon in October 2024 when he defeated Robert Whittaker via first-round submission at UFC 308. While nothing has been made official, the No.3-ranked middleweight appears to be next in line to receive the first title opportunity of his mixed martial arts career.

Chimaev recently took to Instagram to show support for a champion in a different sport. 'Borz' shared a post of undisputed boxing light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev to his Instagram story and captioned it:

"@arturbeterbiev 🦾"

Check out a screenshot of Khamzat Chimaev's Instagram story below:

Khamzat Chimaev's Instagram story

Chimaev shared an image from the night when Beterbiev defeated Dmitry Bivol via majority decision to capture the WBA light heavyweight title, becoming the division's first undisputed champion in the four-belt era. The bout was very close and marked the first time 'The Rabbit' needed the judges after knocking out his previous 20 opponents.

It also marked the first loss of his opponent's career as Bivol was 23-0 entering the bout. The pair are set to clash in a highly-anticipated rematch on a stacked card this weekend.

Kevin Holland weighs in on potential Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev clash

Khamzat Chimaev has not been shy about his desire to become a double champion, expressing an interest in facing Alex Pereira. Kevin Holland recently weighed in on the potential matchup during an interview with Mike Perry, Mac Mally, and Ice Bagz of the Overdogs Podcast.

When asked who he believes would win if they fought, 'Trailblazer' stated:

"I was talking to the bro about that earlier. That's a tough one. It's an easy sell, but it's a tough fight to call. It's like anything outside of round one, it's probably Pereira. Anything inside round one, it's probably Chimaev. I don't think Pereira is the fastest starter so if Chimaev gets a hold of him, that sucks... The way [Chimaev] starts is crazy. I've experienced it."

Check out Kevin Holland's comments on Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev below (55:39):

Holland previously faced Chimaev at UFC 279, losing the bout via first-round submission. While 'Borz' has expressed an interest in facing Pereira, both fighters have work to do in order for the matchup to come to fruition.

The No.3-ranked middleweight will likely need to dethrone Dricus du Plessis and capture the belt, while the light heavyweight champion must retain his title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 next month.