Sean Strickland defeated Hamzat Chimaev in what the analyst describes as a clear 3-2 round decision, though one judge (Sue Sanidad) controversially scored the fifth round for Chimaev. The victory marks Strickland's second major upset after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. Chimaev showed a familiar pattern from his Usman fight: dominant first-round wrestling followed by cardio decline and struggles in later rounds. Following the loss, Chimaev appears ready to move up to light heavyweight. For Strickland, a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov is suggested as logical next step, as Strickland now has six wins over current top-15 ranked fighters. The analyst questions the pre-fight reconciliation between the fighters after months of building animosity.
