Dana White shared his scorecard for the Strickland vs. Chimaev fight, saying he had it 2-2 going into the fifth round and believed Strickland won the final round. When asked if he was surprised that Chimaev didn't wrestle, White said no, recalling that during Fight Island, Chimaev had talked about his striking. White noted he had recently mentioned that Chimaev hadn't fought much on the feet in a while. The UFC president also referenced Chimaev's difficult weight cut but praised him as a tough fighter and "a beast," saying he expected Chimaev wouldn't give up after the difficult second round.
UFC president Dana White revealed his personal scorecard for the Sean Strickland versus Khamzat Chimaev middleweight title fight at UFC 328 on May 9, saying he scored it 2-2 heading into the fifth round before ultimately giving the final round — and the fight — to Strickland at 3-2.
Strickland, 35, retained his middleweight championship and improved his professional record to 31-7-0 with the victory. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and has built his reputation on relentless forward pressure, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy — one of the highest output rates in the division.
Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-10 pound-for-pound fighter at 32 years old, drops to 15-1-0 with the defeat. The UAE-based Allstars Training Center product is one of the sport's most dangerous grapplers, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, yet he did not impose that element of his game on fight night. White said he was not surprised, recounting that Chimaev had spoken openly about his striking during the Fight Island era and had expressed a desire to prove himself on the feet. White had also recently noted that Chimaev had not fought much in a stand-up exchange for some time.
The UFC president acknowledged Chimaev's difficult weight cut as a factor in the performance but stopped short of using it as a full explanation, instead praising Chimaev's toughness and calling him "a beast." White said he expected Chimaev to keep pushing despite a difficult second round, a prediction that held true through the championship rounds.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title defense reinforces his standing as middleweight champion against the division's top-ranked contender
- Chimaev's choice to prioritize striking over his elite grappling — averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes in his career — will raise questions about strategy and weight-cut impact
- At 15-1-0, Chimaev remains a dominant divisional force, and the close scoring keeps his path back to a title shot credible
Saturday, May 9, 2026
