Sean Strickland has become the new UFC middleweight champion after defeating Hamzat Chimaev via split decision with scores of 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 at UFC 328. The fight featured a puzzling moment in the second round when Chimaev suddenly fell to his back mid-round, though he appeared to recover and continued fighting without visible signs of injury. Chimaev had controlled the fight early with 4 minutes and 44 seconds of control time in the first round, but seemed to conserve energy in the third round by avoiding grappling exchanges entirely. The commentator noted that Chimaev appeared less prepared functionally for this fight compared to his bout with Dricus Du Plessis, possibly due to weight cut issues. The mysterious second-round incident and Chimaev's subsequent strategic choices became key turning points in the championship fight.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
