Strickland's upset victory over Chimaev analyzed as second major surprise

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision in what is being called another upset of the year, his second after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. Despite being heavily underestimated and considered a "passing champion" for several years, Strickland was expected to serve as an easy opponent for Chimaev in what was intended to be a major main event. The post notes that Chimaev showed nothing wrong in his performance, fighting hard and breaking Strickland's nose, but ultimately couldn't find decisive answers to Strickland's basic skill set. The fight drew comparisons to Chimaev's bout against Kamaru Usman, showing similar patterns of early wrestling dominance followed by cardio decline. One judge, Sue Sanidad (a BJJ instructor who hadn't worked a UFC event since 2014), controversially scored the fifth round for Chimaev, though the author views it as a clear 3-2 decision for Strickland.