Jon Jones gives his candid take on Khamzat Chimaev’s win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319

Jon Jones took to social media with a brief response after Khamzat Chimaev’s win at UFC 319.

“Congratulations,” he tweeted, adding a wolf emoji in reference to Chimaev’s nickname.

Jones had previously said he would like to train with the new champion, and has since weighed in on his performance.

He stated that the Chechen fighter will look even sharper when he puts his belt on the line for the first time.

“His control was outstanding, it was a brilliant performance,” he wrote.

“I’m sure he’ll take a lot from this dominant showing, and next time we’ll probably see him chase more finishes.”

Khamzat Chimaev’s next opponent and timeline

After his win at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev did not waste any time signalling his readiness for a quick return to action.

He is eyeing a title defence at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for October 25.

Dana White also mentioned that this could be the date for Chi maev’s next fight during the post-event media sessions.

However, that date now appears unlikely. All four top middleweight contenders are already scheduled to fight each other in the next months.

Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho are set to headline UFC Paris on September 6.

Then there is Reinier de Ridder versus Anthony Hernandez, who will face off at UFC Vancouver on October 18.

With all four fighters already committed and so close to Chimaev’s preferred date, it is hard to see any of them being ready in time for an October turnaround.