Khamzat Chimaev is gearing up for what could be his final dance at middleweight, and the stakes couldn't be higher. As he prepares to defend his UFC middleweight title for the first time at UFC 328, the undefeated "Borz" has dropped hints that this pay-per-view paycheck might be his last at 185 pounds.

Chimaev's coach recently revealed he urged the fighter to shelve any thoughts of moving up a division and zero in on the task at hand. That task? A headline showdown against Sean Strickland this weekend, where Chimaev's title and pristine record are both on the line. It's a grudge match that has fans buzzing, but even before the cage door closes, whispers of a light heavyweight move are already swirling.

The Chechen-born star has long flirted with the idea of bulking up to 205 pounds, a notion that gained traction after his recent comments about wanting a boxing match with Conor McGregor. With the light heavyweight division currently without an active champion—thanks to Carlos Ulberg's injury—the timing feels ripe for a switch. During UFC 328 fight week, Chimaev was asked point-blank if May 9 would mark his final appearance at middleweight. "I hope so, I like to eat pizza, man. We will see," he quipped, as captured by MMA Fighting's scrum footage.

The middleweight division, however, isn't exactly overflowing with fresh challengers. Beyond Nassourdine Imavov—who had a strong case but was passed over for the title shot—the pickings are slim. Chimaev noted that fighting Strickland made more sense financially, a pragmatic move for a fighter who's always thinking ahead. For now, all eyes are on UFC 328, but the pizza cravings and light heavyweight dreams suggest this could be Chimaev's farewell to the 185-pound division.