Strickland apologizes for trash talk but damage to Chimaev's aura remains

Sean Strickland apologized for going too far with his pre-fight trash talk against Khamzat Chimaev, but the post notes that this won't undo the damage to Chimaev's reputation. Despite all the insults Strickland directed at him, Chimaev repeatedly extended his hand, smiled, and hugged Strickland, which would have looked impressive only if he had dominated the American during the fight. Instead, Chimaev was seen on his back under Strickland as early as the second round. The post also includes a theory from Vlad Matveev suggesting that Chimaev may have been preparing for a light heavyweight debut but plans changed at the last moment, citing that Chimaev worked with top sports scientists yet still only had cardio for one round.