Strickland has the belt. He has not defended it.

Sean Strickland is the UFC middleweight champion. He won the belt by split decision over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 on May 9 and has made zero defenses since. No middleweight title fight appears on any UFC event page.

Chimaev remains the most visible name after the May loss — former champion, first career defeat, still central to rematch talk. Dricus du Plessis is the other ex-champ in the lane. Nassourdine Imavov has pushed hardest for the next shot. Joe Pyfer’s TKO of Israel Adesanya keeps him in contender talk; he sits mid-pack on most boards. None of those placements books a fight by itself.

Reported — not booked

Imavov told fans in a Q&A ahead of UFC Paris that he knows the date of his next fight and that it is for the title (Heavy.com, Sept. 4). Combat outlets have tied that rematch to UFC 335 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas. The UFC has announced the date and venue for UFC 335; it has not announced Strickland vs. Imavov, and no fights are listed for that card yet. December remains reported — not an official booking.

Chimaev, in interviews published Sept. 13 (MMA Junkie, MMA Fighting), said he wants an Octagon return in October or December and will take time off to treat lingering injuries if nothing is arranged by then. That is fighter talk. He has no UFC bout booked. Du Plessis injury chatter runs mostly through Chimaev, who said the UFC told him du Plessis and Caio Borralho were unavailable. Neither du Plessis nor the promotion has publicly confirmed a current layoff in those terms — treat it as unconfirmed.

UFC 331, 332, and 333 carry middleweight depth only — no title, no eliminator. What changed since May is almost nothing on the official calendar. Until the UFC prints it, keep rumor separate from the title picture.