Analysis suggests Strickland's get-up ability will be tested early against Chimaev

The main question heading into the Chimaev-Strickland fight is whether Strickland can get back to his feet after takedowns, with the first takedown likely providing crucial answers. Sparring partners Luke Rockhold, Jorge Masvidal, and Sharaf Davlatmurodov all attest to Strickland's ability to stand up, even against heavyweights, though he achieves this through wrestling scrambles rather than technical guard work. Historical evidence from Chimaev's fights shows that standing up against him is extremely difficult; DDP managed it once late in round one without fully breaking away, and Usman did so in round three after giving up 2.5 minutes of control. The author analyzes that while Strickland may create problems for Chimaev, particularly in draining his energy, Chimaev's superior speed in transitions, use of wrist control, and leg entanglements make clean escapes unlikely. The prediction is that Chimaev will either finish the fight or, if he senses Strickland is stronger than expected in grappling, will shift to striking and win on points.