Strickland defeats Chimaev by split decision to become new middleweight champion

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision with scorecards of 47-48, 48-47, and 48-47 to capture the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328. The analyst noted a puzzling moment in the second round when Chimaev suddenly fell to his back mid-fight, though he showed no signs of injury in subsequent rounds. Chimaev appeared to conserve energy in the third round and avoided engaging in wrestling exchanges entirely. The analysis suggests Chimaev was not as well-conditioned for this fight as he was for his bout against Dricus du Plessis, potentially due to difficulties with the weight cut. Chimaev controlled the fight for 4 minutes and 44 seconds in the first round before the mysterious second-round incident changed the trajectory of the bout. The victory marks a significant upset and represents Strickland's return to championship status in the division.