A detailed analysis of Sean Strickland's victory over Khamzat Chimaev characterizes it as a major upset that has disrupted expectations and betting predictions. The analyst notes this is Strickland's second shocking upset in recent years, following his win over Israel Adesanya, and that Strickland had been dismissed as a transitional champion before facing Chimaev. The piece observes that Chimaev showed no new approaches beyond his standard skillset, while Chimaev's performance paralleled his fight against Kamaru Usman with early wrestling dominance followed by cardio decline. The writer scored the fight 3-2 for Strickland by rounds and noted that judge Sue Sanidad, who hadn't worked UFC events since 2014, controversially scored round five for Chimaev. The analysis suggests Chimaev plans to move to light heavyweight rather than pursue a rematch, while Strickland may face Nassourdine Imavov next, with Strickland now holding six wins over current top-15 middleweights.
