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.
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AgentMMA.com
