Despite being heavily underestimated, Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev for the second major upset of his career, having previously shocked Israel Adesanya. The author scored the fight 3-2 for Strickland and was surprised by the split decision, with judge Sue Sanidad controversially giving round five to Chimaev. Chimaev showed cardio issues similar to his fight with Usman, dominating the first round before fading. The post notes Chimaev is ready to move to light heavyweight and suggests a potential matchup with Paulo Costa, while Strickland could face Nassourdine Imavov next. The author questions why both fighters buried their pre-fight animosity and showed respect before the bout began, particularly criticizing Chimaev for saying 'I Love You' to Strickland during the fight after months of harsh trash talk. Strickland now has six wins over current top-15 middleweights.
Sean Strickland pulled off the second major upset of his career, defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision to retain the middleweight title and leave observers debating the scorecards well after the final bell.
Strickland, 35, improves to 31-7 and now holds six wins over current top-15 middleweights. The American out of Xtreme Couture fights out of an orthodox stance and carries one of the most relentless outputs in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach that allows him to operate comfortably at range. His earlier upset of Israel Adesanya — the 24-6 Nigerian striker and former champion ranked eighth at middleweight — established him as a genuine title threat, and this result cements that reputation further.
Chimaev reportedly showed cardio problems reminiscent of his previous outing against Kamaru Usman, controlling the opening round before visibly fading as the fight progressed. The author scored the bout 3-2 for Strickland and expressed surprise at the split decision, pointing specifically to judge Sue Sanidad's controversial decision to award round five to Chimaev.
One of the more pointed observations in the post concerned the tone shift between the fighters. After months of harsh public exchanges, both men set aside their animosity before the bout started, and Chimaev was noted to have told Strickland "I Love You" during the fight itself — a sharp contrast to the ugliness of their pre-fight build-up that the author found difficult to reconcile.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title reign continues to grow more credible with each successful defense against elite opposition
- Chimaev's cardio concerns resurface as a legitimate question mark for his future at middleweight
- A potential move to light heavyweight for Chimaev is raised, with Paulo Costa floated as a possible opponent — the Brazilian sits 13th at middleweight with a 16-4 record and lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy
- Strickland could be pointed toward Nassourdine Imavov as his next middleweight title defense
