Rockhold Says Chimaev Turned Down UFC Fight
Luke Rockhold’s claim that Khamzat Chimaev declined a fight with him dates to 2021, not Chimaev’s later championship run. Rockhold said he accepted a proposed middleweight bout, while Chimaev wanted to remain at welterweight. The account was Rockhold’s, and no bout took place. The two later met in a grappling match in 2024.
What Rockhold Said
In 2021, Rockhold told Ariel Helwani that he had agreed to a proposed fight with Chimaev, but Chimaev declined because he wanted to compete at 170 pounds. Contemporary reports described the proposed matchup as a possible main event. The report was based on Rockhold’s account; there was no official fight announcement, and the public record does not establish Chimaev’s full reasoning.
They Later Grappled
The fighters did meet in a grappling session in September 2024. Chimaev controlled the exchange and forced Rockhold to concede, according to contemporaneous coverage. That was a grappling match, not the previously discussed MMA bout.
Where Chimaev Stands Now
Chimaev later won the middleweight championship with a unanimous decision over Dricus du Plessis in August 2025. He lost his first defense to Sean Strickland by split decision on May 9, 2026. That later career arc does not confirm or disprove Rockhold’s account of the 2021 negotiations.
Sources: MMA Fighting’s 2021 report on Rockhold’s account; MMA Fighting on their 2024 grappling match; Official 2026 scorecards.
