Commentary suggests Sean Strickland apologized for going too far when promoting his fight, but the damage to Khamzat Chimaev's aura remains. Despite Strickland's trash talk, Chimaev repeatedly extended his hand, smiled, and embraced his opponent, which would have looked better had he dominated in the octagon. Instead, Chimaev ended up on his back under Strickland in the second round. One theory proposed is that Chimaev was actually preparing for a light heavyweight debut at 93 kg, but plans changed at the last moment. This would explain his apparent cardio issues, as Chimaev was training under top-level sports scientists whose work should not have resulted in only one round of cardio. The analysis also covers other fights from the event, including comparisons of Pantoja-Taira to Moreno-Figueiredo and noting Volkov's consecutive close decision victories.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
