Media scorecards were split on the Sean Strickland versus Khamzat Chimaev bout at UFC 328, with 13 out of 24 journalists scoring the fight in favor of Chimaev. The official judges awarded the fight to Strickland by split decision, making him the middleweight champion. The close media scoring reflects how competitive the bout was. The division among journalists suggests the fight could have gone either way on the scorecards. This discrepancy between official and media scores is common in closely contested championship fights.
Sean Strickland retained the UFC middleweight championship by split decision over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 on May 9, but unofficial media scorecards told a different story, with 13 of 24 ringside journalists scoring the bout for Chimaev.
Strickland, known as "Tarzan," improves to 31-7-0 with the victory and remains the middleweight champion at 35 years old. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his 42 percent striking accuracy reflects a high-volume, pressure-based approach rather than a pick-your-shots style. His 76-inch reach at 185 cm gives him tools to manage distance against most opponents.
Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-10 pound-for-pound fighter representing the United Arab Emirates, came up just short in his championship bid and slips to 15-1-0. The 32-year-old out of Allstars Training Center is one of the sport's most dangerous two-way threats, combining 60 percent striking accuracy with a punishing 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His near-perfect record entering the fight underscored why the matchup was viewed as one of the most competitive title contests in recent middleweight history.
Why it matters
- Strickland holds the title despite more than half of media scorers seeing the fight for Chimaev, reinforcing how close the bout was on a round-by-round basis.
- The split decision result does little to settle the debate over who deserved the victory, making a rematch a logical conversation for the middleweight division.
- Chimaev's elite grappling numbers against Strickland's high striking output created a genuine stylistic clash that divided observers at cageside.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
