Analysis suggests Chimaev may have been preparing for light heavyweight debut

A post-event analysis suggests Khamzat Chimaev may have been preparing for a light heavyweight debut before plans changed last minute, which could explain his poor cardio showing against Strickland after just one round. The author questions whether elite sports science professionals Chimaev worked with would produce such limited conditioning. Strickland apologized for going too far in promoting the fight, but the damage to Chimaev's aura remains, especially after Chimaev repeatedly extended friendship during the fight despite the buildup. The post compares Van versus Taira to Moreno-Figueiredo for a younger generation, predicting future rematches. It also notes Alexander Volkov received favorable judging for the second consecutive close fight, seen as 'cashback' for his controversial loss to Gane.