According to media scorecards, 13 out of 24 journalists scored the fight in favor of Khamzat Chimaev against Sean Strickland, despite the official decision going to Strickland. This indicates the bout was closely contested with divided opinions on the outcome. The split in scoring suggests the fight could have gone either way. The close nature of the judging reflects how competitive the matchup was. This represents a significant divide in how media members viewed the action.
