Sean Strickland captured the UFC middleweight championship by defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision with scores of 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47 at UFC 328. The analyst notes a mysterious moment in the second round when Chimaev suddenly fell to his back mid-fight, though he appeared to recover and showed no signs of injury in subsequent rounds. Chimaev controlled the first round with 4 minutes and 44 seconds of control time but seemed to conserve energy in the third round by avoiding grappling exchanges entirely. The commentary suggests Chimaev's conditioning was notably worse than in his previous fight against Dricus du Plessis, potentially due to weight cut difficulties. The unexpected collapse in round two remains unexplained as Chimaev continued fighting effectively afterward. The victory makes Strickland a two-time UFC middleweight champion.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
