Strickland defeats Chimaev by split decision to become UFC middleweight champ

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion. 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 minutes and 44 seconds in the first round before the puzzling second-round moment. He appeared to conserve energy in the third round by avoiding grappling entirely. Chimaev's conditioning wasn't as strong as it was for his bout with Du Plessis, possibly due to the weight cut. Despite the mid-fight struggle, Chimaev fought afterward as if he hadn't suffered an injury.