An in-depth analysis examines Sean Strickland's ability to stand up from Khamzat Chimaev's takedowns ahead of UFC 328. Training partners offer conflicting assessments: Luke Rockhold says Strickland is incredibly hard to hold down despite not being a great grappler, Jorge Masvidal confirms Strickland's ability to get up even against heavyweights, and Sharaf Davlatmurodov states Chimaev could only hold him for the first 1.5 rounds before it becomes problematic. The analysis notes that Strickland gets up through wrestling scrambles and creating frames rather than technical guard work, citing his fights with Dricus du Plessis (stood up after six takedowns) and Kamaru Usman (stood up in round three after giving up 2.5 minutes of control). The piece concludes that while Strickland may get up, he likely won't fully disengage from Chimaev's clinch work, and predicts Chimaev will finish him or win by decision if he senses resistance.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
