Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 328. The analyst noted confusion about what happened to Chimaev in the middle of the second round when he suddenly fell to his back, though Chimaev continued fighting afterward without apparent injury. Chimaev appeared to conserve energy in the third round and did not pursue wrestling. The post suggested Chimaev was not as well-prepared functionally as he was for his bout with Dricus Du Plessis, possibly due to weight cutting difficulties. Chimaev had controlled 4:44 of the first round before the puzzling second round incident.
Sean Strickland captured the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328 on May 9, defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision — two judges scoring it 48-47 for Strickland and one 47-48 for Chimaev.
Strickland, now 31-7-0, claims the middleweight title at age 35 and earns the is_champion designation in the division. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one American operates from an orthodox stance and carries a 76-inch reach. He is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his accuracy sits at 42 percent. His wrestling is not a central weapon, averaging just 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Chimaev entered as the number-one-ranked middleweight and the tenth-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holding a 15-1-0 record at age 32. The six-foot-two Borz, fighting out of Allstars Training Center under the UAE flag, is among the most dangerous wrestlers in the sport, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with 60 percent striking accuracy. He dominated the opening frame, controlling 4:44 of the first round, but a puzzling incident midway through the second — in which he fell to his back without an apparent injury — disrupted his momentum. He continued after the incident yet appeared to pull back from his wrestling in the third round, conserving energy rather than pressing his grappling advantage. Observations following the fight pointed to possible weight-cutting difficulties as a factor in his diminished output compared to his earlier performance against fellow middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis.
Why it matters
- Strickland seizes the middleweight title, reshaping the top of the 185-pound division
- Chimaev drops his second career loss, raising questions about his preparation and weight management at middleweight
- Du Plessis, ranked second at 185 pounds with a 23-3-0 record, looms as a natural title contender following this result
- The circumstances surrounding Chimaev's second-round incident remain unexplained and may draw further scrutiny
Saturday, May 9, 2026
