Analysis: Strickland's upset victory over Chimaev follows familiar pattern

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev in a split decision that mirrors patterns seen in Chimaev's previous fights. The analyst notes this is Strickland's second major upset after defeating Israel Adesanya, and came despite being heavily underestimated. Chimaev showed a familiar decline: dominant first-round grappling followed by cardio issues, then extended striking exchanges, similar to his fight against Kamaru Usman. The writer scored it clearly 3-2 for Strickland and was surprised by the split decision, noting that judge Sue Sanidad (a BJJ instructor who hadn't worked UFC events since 2014) scored round five for Chimaev. Chimaev appears ready to move to light heavyweight, while Strickland's next logical challenger could be Nassourdine Imavov. The analyst questions why both fighters reconciled before the bout after months of building animosity.