Arman Tsarukyan has laid out an ambitious blueprint for his close friend Khamzat Chimaev's future, and it goes far beyond defending the UFC Middleweight Championship.
In a video shared by journalist Adam Zubayraev, Tsarukyan outlined his vision for Chimaev's career during a candid exchange between the two fighters. The plan starts with UFC domination and ends with a boxing crossover that pits Chimaev against both Jake Paul and Logan Paul, before eventually targeting Floyd Mayweather.
"Now you need two or three belts," Tsarukyan said in a translation posted by Red Corner MMA. "You take three belts, then we move to boxing."
Tsarukyan then spelled out the boxing targets he has in mind. "Jake Paul, Logan Paul. And then we will pull Floyd Mayweather out of the grave."
Winning three UFC titles simultaneously would be unprecedented in the promotion's history, making Chimaev's in-cage road alone a historically ambitious undertaking. Chimaev currently holds the UFC Middleweight Championship after his dominant performance over Dricus du Plessis in Chicago last August, with his first title defense scheduled against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Chimaev has existing connections to the Paul brothers, having trained with Logan Paul in Sweden before reaching UFC fame. Whether the boxing portion of Tsarukyan's vision ever materializes is a long way off, but the conversation signals how broadly Chimaev's team is thinking about his long-term trajectory.
Mayweather, meanwhile, is due to return for a professionally sanctioned rematch with Manny Pacquiao this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas, though that bout has been thrown into doubt by ongoing disputes over whether it will be an exhibition or a sanctioned professional fight.
