Strickland defeats Chimaev by split decision to win UFC middleweight title

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 analysis notes a puzzling moment in the second round when Chimaev suddenly fell to his back mid-round, though he didn't appear injured afterward. Chimaev controlled 4 minutes and 44 seconds of the first round, but something changed dramatically in the second. In the third round, Chimaev appeared to conserve energy and avoided grappling entirely. The post suggests Chimaev's conditioning was not as sharp as it was for his fight against Dricus du Plessis, possibly due to weight-cutting difficulties. The mystery of what happened in the second round and Chimaev's overall preparation remains a central question from the fight.