Sean Strickland shared a post-fight photograph showing his battered face after defeating Khamzat Chimaev. He captioned the image simply as "Best job in the world." The photo reveals visible damage sustained during the five-round championship bout. Strickland's social media post reflects his satisfaction with reclaiming the middleweight title despite the physical toll.
Sean Strickland offered a raw glimpse into the price of championship glory on May 10, sharing a post-fight photograph on social media that showed his face heavily bruised and marked after reclaiming the UFC middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev. The caption from the 35-year-old American was characteristically blunt: "Best job in the world."
Strickland, now 31-7-0 and fighting out of Xtreme Couture, reasserted himself as middleweight champion with a five-round performance that clearly took a physical toll. The six-foot-one orthodox striker is one of the busiest fighters in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 42 percent accuracy rate and a 76-inch reach that allows him to operate effectively at range.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," entered the fight ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, carrying a record of 15-1-0 and one of the most feared wrestling attacks in the sport. The six-foot-two Allstars Training Center product averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy — numbers that help explain the visible damage Strickland absorbed across five rounds.
Why it matters
- Strickland retains the middleweight championship, reinforcing his position atop a stacked 185-pound division
- Chimaev absorbs only his second career loss but remains a top-ten pound-for-pound presence whose future divisional trajectory is now in question
- The physical evidence in Strickland's photo underscores how competitive the championship bout was, even in victory
- Strickland's public embrace of the sport's brutal realities continues to define his relationship with fans and his identity as a fighter
