An extensive tactical breakdown examines whether Sean Strickland can effectively get back to his feet against Khamzat Chimaev's wrestling. The analysis notes that the first takedown will answer key questions about Strickland's ability to stand safely, fully break grips, return to distance, and force Chimaev to expend energy defending submissions and ground strikes. Multiple training partners and opponents offered insights: Luke Rockhold said Strickland is frustratingly difficult to hold down even though his grappling isn't exceptional; Jorge Masvidal witnessed Strickland working with heavyweights and said he's incredibly hard to control; Sharaf Davlatmurodov called him the most uncomfortable opponent personally, noting Strickland constantly trains with college wrestlers and excels at breaking wrist control and standing up through wrestling fundamentals rather than technical guard work. The analysis compares this to Dricus Du Plessis, who took Strickland down six times but couldn't hold him due to slow, awkward transitions, and to Kamaru Usman, who controlled Strickland for 4.5 minutes nine years ago in a different weight class. The author concludes that while Strickland likely cannot cleanly separate at the cage or center, he may be able to extract more energy from Chimaev than Du Plessis did, potentially forcing Chimaev to either risk more in grappling for a finish or transition to striking and tactical takedowns for a decision victory.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
