The analyst expresses satisfaction with Sean Strickland's victory over Khamzat Chimaev, noting Strickland has delivered major upsets twice now, previously against Israel Adesanya. Chimaev showed effort and broke Strickland's nose but couldn't maintain his early dominance, similar to his pattern against Kamaru Usman where cardio faded after a strong first round. Strickland displayed his typical skill set with no new techniques. The writer scored the fight 3-2 for Strickland and was surprised by the split decision, questioning judge Sue Sanidad's scoring. Looking forward, Chimaev appears set to move to light heavyweight while a rematch between Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov makes sense. The analyst criticizes the pre-fight reconciliation between fighters after months of building animosity.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
