Strickland defeats Chimaev via split decision to win middleweight title at UFC 328

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 328. The bout's defining mystery was Chimaev suddenly falling to his back mid-way through the second round, after which his performance changed significantly. Chimaev controlled the fight for 4 minutes and 44 seconds in the first round but appeared to conserve energy in the third by avoiding grappling exchanges entirely. The analyst noted Chimaev's conditioning appeared inferior to his preparation for the Dricus du Plessis fight, speculating the weight cut may have been a factor. Following the second-round incident, Chimaev continued fighting without apparent injury.