Media split on Chimaev-Strickland decision: 13 of 24 scored for Chimaev

Nearly half of the media members who scored Saturday's middleweight title fight at UFC 328 believed the wrong man had his hand raised. According to a tally of 24 journalist scorecards, 13 gave the contest to Khamzat Chimaev — yet it was champion Sean Strickland who walked away with the official split decision victory on the night of May 9.

Strickland, 35, defended his middleweight title to move to 31-7-0, extending one of the most active striking resumes in the division. The American southpaw out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and lands an exceptional 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his 42 percent striking accuracy has always left room for opponents to argue volume over damage in close rounds.

Chimaev, fighting out of Allstars Training Center, entered the bout ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound at 15-1-0. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates brings a smothering combination of wrestling and striking, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a 60 percent striking accuracy — the highest of the two men. That blend gave many observers reason to credit him with controlling large stretches of the fight.

Why it matters

• Thirteen of 24 media scorecards favoring the losing fighter signals one of the more controversial decisions in recent middleweight title history.
• Chimaev's divisional ranking and pound-for-pound standing ensure the result will face immediate scrutiny and calls for a rematch.
• The stylistic clash — Strickland's relentless volume striking against Chimaev's high-accuracy, grappling-heavy pressure — created genuine round-by-round ambiguity that clearly divided even experienced observers.
• The outcome leaves the middleweight title picture unsettled, with Chimaev remaining the division's top-ranked contender despite the loss on the official scorecards.