The UFC middleweight division has a new king in undefeated champion Khamzat Chimaev, but former titleholder Israel Adesanya says the weight class has lost momentum since he left the throne.
Frustration with the state of UFC middleweight came into focus this week when Israel Adesanya criticized champion Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 328, where Chimaev is scheduled to defend his belt against Sean Strickland on May 9 in Newark. In comments to ESPN, Adesanya argued the division no longer moves with the urgency it had during his reign.
That matters because 185 pounds has long been one of the UFC’s most reliable marquee divisions, and the logjam at the top is starting to shape matchmaking across the promotion. With contenders waiting for their opening, every delay at the championship level has ripple effects on the rest of the rankings.
Adesanya pointed to Chimaev’s explosive start in the UFC, when the Chechen-born star built his reputation by overwhelming opponents and fighting at a pace that made him one of the company’s fastest-rising names. But according to the former champion, that energy has faded since Chimaev captured the middleweight title last August.
“Look at what middleweight has become. Khamzat was a machine that wouldn’t stop. Now he’s the champion, and everything changed. Maybe visa issues, maybe injuries. But I was the last truly active champion in this division,” Adesanya said.
Adesanya’s larger point is about movement at the top. During his title run, the belt changed hands less often, but contenders got their opportunities and big fights came quickly. In the current picture, a Chimaev win over Strickland at UFC 328 would likely tighten his grip on the division and force the UFC to settle on a clear No. 1 contender. If Strickland pulls the upset, the title picture gets chaotic in a hurry, with the potential for a rematch or another reshuffling of the elite tier.
There is also a narrative test here for both men. Chimaev still has to prove he can be an active, dependable champion after years of stop-and-start momentum, while Strickland has a chance to show his title reign was not a one-off moment. For American fans, that makes Newark more than just another pay-per-view stop — it is a pressure point for the future of the division.
“I was the last guy who regularly put it all on the line. People probably didn’t appreciate it at the time. I didn’t either until I started watching from the outside. Now I look at it and think, damn, everything is moving so slowly. Without me at the top of middleweight, there’s a traffic jam. When I was on top, the division moved much faster,” Adesanya added.
UFC 328 now carries bigger stakes than one title defense, because the pace, credibility and direction of the middleweight division may depend on what happens once Chimaev and Strickland step into the cage.
