Analysis: Strickland's upset win exposes Chimaev's cardio issues

Sean Strickland's split decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 marked his second major upset in recent years, having previously defeated Israel Adesanya. The analyst notes that Chimaev showed a familiar pattern of early dominance followed by cardio decline, similar to his fight against Kamaru Usman. Despite expectations, Chimaev had no definitive answers to Strickland's basic skillset. The judges scored it 3-2 for Strickland, though one judge controversially gave the fifth round to Chimaev. Looking ahead, Chimaev is expected to move to light heavyweight, while Strickland could face Nassourdine Imavov in a logical next matchup. Strickland now has six wins over current top-15 middleweights.