Gilbert Burns shared his scorecard for the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland bout at UFC 328, giving the victory to Chimaev despite the official split decision going to Strickland. Burns is a top-ranked middleweight who has faced both fighters in the past, lending credibility to his assessment. The post suggests that the fight was close enough to have reasonable disagreement about the winner. This adds to the ongoing debate about whether the right fighter was awarded the decision.
Gilbert Burns has weighed in on the controversial split decision at UFC 328, scoring the Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland middleweight clash in favor of Chimaev — contrary to the official result, which handed Strickland the victory on the judges' scorecards.
Burns, known as "Durinho," carries genuine authority on the subject. The 39-year-old Brazilian, currently ranked 13th at welterweight with a 22-10 record out of Kill Cliff FC, has shared the cage with both men at some point in his career. That firsthand experience gives his assessment more weight than the average social media observer. Burns lands significant strikes at a rate of 3.15 per minute with 48 percent accuracy, and his wrestling pedigree — 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes — means he understands the full picture of a mixed martial arts contest.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, retained his title via that split decision. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture carries a 31-7 record and is one of the sport's most relentless volume strikers, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute. At six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, "Tarzan" is built to impose pressure across five championship rounds.
Chimaev entered UFC 328 as the number-one ranked middleweight contender and sits 10th on the pound-for-pound list with a 15-1 record. The 32-year-old fighting out of Allstars Training Center is a dominant all-around threat — landing at 60 percent striking accuracy while averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, numbers that make him one of the most statistically efficient fighters in the division.
Why it matters
- The split decision outcome leaves the result open to legitimate debate, with credible voices now publicly disagreeing with the judges.
- Burns has competed against both fighters, making his scorecard more analytically grounded than typical fan reaction.
- Chimaev's loss, if disputed widely enough, could strengthen the case for an immediate rematch in a stacked middleweight division.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
