Dana White has confirmed that Khamzat Chimaev is likely done with the middleweight division following his stunning upset loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328. The former champion, who suffered his first career defeat via split decision, immediately told the UFC CEO he wants to move up to light heavyweight.

Chimaev's weight cut for the championship bout was visibly brutal. At Friday's official weigh-ins, the 32-year-old looked depleted as he made the 185-pound limit, struggling on the scale. Those concerns proved well-founded when he approached White inside the Octagon right after the loss.

"He literally walked up to me after the fight and said, 'I want to move up.' That was it. He said, 'I don't want to fight at this weight again. I want to move up,'" White revealed at the post-fight press conference.

The UFC boss is excited about the potential shift. "Him moving up is exciting. Ever since Fight Island, he's gone on a run, he's undefeated, won the world title. Did everything he said he would do. But with the level of success and lifestyle, it makes it tough. He was the f***ing champion. When you see somebody for the first time and you're like, 'Wow, this guy's special,' and they become a world champion in the UFC, yeah, I would say he has potential to do it again, 100%."

Chimaev's performance was a tale of two approaches. In Round 1, he dominated with his signature wrestling, overwhelming Strickland. He revisited that game plan later in the fight, but for most of the 25-minute war, he chose to stand and trade strikes with his former training partner. The closely contested bout came down to the wire—White revealed his scorecard had the fight all tied up going into the final round.

For a fighter who once seemed invincible at welterweight before climbing to middleweight gold, this loss could mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter. A move to light heavyweight would not only ease the brutal weight cuts that have plagued him but also open up fresh matchups in a division ripe with possibilities. Whether Chimaev can replicate his championship success at 205 pounds remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the "Borz" era at middleweight has come to an end.