Analysis suggests Khamzat Chimaev may have been preparing for a light heavyweight debut before plans changed last minute, which could explain his cardio issues against Sean Strickland. Chimaev worked with top-level sports science professionals for this camp, making the one-round cardio outcome particularly surprising. After apologizing for going too far in pre-fight promotion, Strickland's trash talk had damaged Chimaev's aura, especially when Chimaev showed friendliness during the fight despite being verbally attacked beforehand. The analyst compares the Van versus Taira bout to the Moreno-Figueiredo rivalry for a younger generation, predicting future championship rematches. Additionally, Alexander Volkov received favorable judging for the second consecutive close fight, which some view as karmic balance for his controversial loss to Ciryl Gane.
