Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328, marking his second major upset in recent years after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. The post notes that Strickland had been underestimated for years and was considered a "passing champion" before being matched against Chimaev. The fight was scored 3-2 in rounds for Strickland, though the author was surprised it was a split decision, with one judge (Sue Sanidad, a BJJ instructor making her first UFC appearance since 2014) scoring the fifth round for Chimaev. Chimaev showed nothing new strategically and followed a similar pattern to his fight with Kamaru Usman: dominant first-round grappling followed by cardio issues. The victory ruined many betting parlays and secured Strickland's status while generating significant hate toward his detractors.
Sean Strickland retained the UFC middleweight championship with a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 on May 9, delivering what many are already calling the second landmark upset of his career.
Strickland, 35, improved his record to 31-7-0 with the win. The American out of Xtreme Couture carries a relentless output game — landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach — and has now turned away two of the division's most hyped challengers in succession, having previously taken the belt from Israel Adesanya. Dismissed for years as a fighter without a ceiling, he has steadily proven those assessments wrong.
Chimaev entered the contest ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, carrying a 15-1-0 record and some of the most imposing grappling numbers in the sport at 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. The 32-year-old from the UAE was widely expected to use that wrestling dominance to overwhelm Strickland across five rounds. Instead, he replicated a pattern that emerged in his fight with Kamaru Usman: a dominant first round on the mat followed by a visible drop in cardio as the fight wore on, with no meaningful strategic adjustment.
The judges scored the bout 3-2 in rounds for Strickland, though the split came from one scorecard that awarded the fifth round to Chimaev, submitted by judge Sue Sanidad in her first UFC assignment since 2014.
Why it matters
- Strickland's second straight upset win over a top-ranked opponent cements his legitimacy as champion, not a transitional titleholder.
- Chimaev drops to 15-1-0 and faces questions about his gas tank and game-plan flexibility at the highest level.
- The result reshuffles the middleweight picture, with ranked contenders including Adesanya at number eight needing to reassess the path back to a title shot.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
