Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 to become only the second middleweight champion in UFC history to regain the belt after losing it, joining Israel Adesanya. Chimaev dominated the first round with grappling but faded in cardio as the fight progressed, similar to his pattern against Kamaru Usman. Strickland used his standard striking game to outwork Chimaev over five rounds, with most observers scoring it 3-2 for Strickland. Following the loss, Chimaev announced his intention to move up to light heavyweight, with a potential matchup against Paulo Costa mentioned. Strickland now holds six wins over current top-15 middleweights and is expected to face Nassourdine Imavov next in a logical title defense.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
