Strickland becomes second middleweight to regain UFC title after loss

Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, defeating Khamzat Chimaev to etch his name into divisional history as only the second fighter ever to regain the title after losing it.

Strickland, 35, now holds a 31-7-0 professional record and trains out of Xtreme Couture. The American stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and his output was a central feature of his original title run.

The man who first accomplished this feat in the middleweight division was Israel Adesanya. The 36-year-old Nigerian standout from City Kickboxing carries a 24-6-0 record and currently sits ranked eighth in the division. Standing six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach, Adesanya posts a striking accuracy of 48 percent and lands 4.03 significant strikes per minute across his career.

Chimaev entered the contest as the number-one ranked middleweight and the number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates came in at 15-1-0 and trains at Allstars Training Center. His grappling-heavy style makes him one of the most feared competitors in the sport, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and posting a remarkable 60 percent striking accuracy.

Why it matters

• Strickland joins Adesanya as the only middleweights in UFC history to win back the title after losing it, underscoring the extreme rarity of the achievement.
• The loss hands the number-one ranked Chimaev his second career defeat, likely reshuffling the top of a loaded 185-pound division.
• Strickland's high-volume striking style against Chimaev's elite wrestling and submission threat made for a compelling stylistic contrast at the championship level.