Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 328. The analysis questions what happened to Chimaev in the middle of the second round when he suddenly fell to his back, noting he didn't appear injured afterward. Chimaev controlled 4 minutes and 44 seconds of the first round, but something changed dramatically in round two. In the third round, Chimaev appeared to conserve energy and avoided grappling entirely. The post suggests Chimaev was not as well-prepared functionally as he was for his fight against Dricus Du Plessis, potentially due to weight cut issues.
Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328 on May 9, defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision — two judges scoring it 48-47 for Strickland and one 47-48 for Chimaev — to once again sit atop the 185-pound division.
Strickland, 35, now carries a 31-7 record and returns to the championship he previously held. The American fights out of Xtreme Couture in an orthodox stance and stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He is one of the division's most relentless volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and his output over five rounds proved decisive on the scorecards.
Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight heading into the bout, entered at 13-1 and was widely regarded as the division's most dangerous challenger. The 30-year-old fighting out of the UAE and Allstars Training Center brings elite wrestling to the cage, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 60 percent. He controlled 4 minutes and 44 seconds of the opening round, but something shifted midway through round two when Chimaev abruptly fell to his back without an apparent injury forcing the moment. By the third round he was avoiding grappling entirely and appeared to be conserving energy — a stark contrast to the pressure he imposed early.
The summary raises the possibility that Chimaev was not as functionally prepared as he had been for his previous fight against Dricus Du Plessis, with a potentially difficult weight cut cited as a contributing factor.
Why it matters
- Strickland becomes a two-time UFC middleweight champion, one of a short list in divisional history
- Chimaev falls to 13-1 and drops his number-one ranking, raising questions about his preparation and weight management at middleweight
- Number-two ranked Dricus Du Plessis, who holds a win over Chimaev, now looms as the most logical next challenger at 185 pounds
- The manner of Chimaev's fade after a dominant first round will fuel debate about his long-term future at middleweight
Saturday, May 9, 2026
