Despite being heavily underestimated, Sean Strickland secured his second major upset victory, having previously beaten Israel Adesanya. The fight saw Chimaev dominate the first round with wrestling, then fade due to cardio issues in a pattern similar to his fight against Kamaru Usman, though that was only three rounds. The columnist scored it 3-2 for Strickland and was surprised by the split decision, particularly judge Sue Sanidad's scoring of round five for Chimaev. Following the loss, Chimaev appears ready to move up to light heavyweight, with a potential matchup against Paulo Costa mentioned. For Strickland, a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov is suggested as a logical next step, with the champion now holding six victories over current top-15 middleweights.
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