An analytical breakdown of UFC 328 suggests that Khamzat Chimaev may have been preparing for a light heavyweight debut before plans changed at the last moment. The theory, attributed to Vlad Matveev, notes that Chimaev worked with top-level sports scientists for this camp, making his poor cardio after one round highly unusual. The analysis points out that despite Chimaev's pre-fight bravado being undermined by the result, his constant smiling and hand-extending toward Strickland would have looked impressive only if he had dominated in the cage. Instead, Chimaev ended up on his back under Strickland in the second round. The post also discusses Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira being compared to the Moreno-Figueiredo rivalry for a younger generation, and notes Alexander Volkov receiving favorable judging for the second consecutive close fight.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
