Strickland wins middleweight title from Chimaev via split decision at UFC 328

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 328. An analyst noted the fight's mystery centered on what happened to Chimaev in the middle of the second round when he suddenly fell to his back. Chimaev controlled 4:44 minutes in the first round but appeared less prepared functionally than for his Du Plessis fight, possibly due to weight cutting issues. The analyst suggested Chimaev may have conserved energy in the third round by avoiding wrestling entirely. Questions remain about the incident in round two that changed the fight's trajectory.