Strickland pulls off second major upset, defeats Chimaev by split decision

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision despite being heavily underestimated entering the fight. This marks Strickland's second major upset in recent years, having previously shocked Israel Adesanya. The author scored the fight 3-2 in rounds for Strickland, though one judge controversially gave the fifth round to Chimaev. The bout followed a familiar pattern to Chimaev's fight with Usman: dominant first-round grappling followed by cardio decline and increased standup work. Strickland showed nothing new tactically but Chimaev had no definitive answers to his style. The pre-fight tensions dissolved when both fighters exchanged pleasantries before the bout began, with Chimaev even saying "I love you" during the fight. Post-fight analysis suggests Chimaev will likely move to light heavyweight, while Strickland's most logical next opponent would be a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov.