The judging for the Chimaev versus Strickland fight revealed a close split among media members covering the bout. Out of 24 journalists who scored the fight, 13 gave the victory to Khamzat Chimaev while the remaining scored it for Sean Strickland. The close media scoring reflects the competitive nature of the matchup and shows divided opinion on the outcome. This split suggests the fight was closely contested throughout. The post indicates this information is being duplicated across multiple channels for those having loading issues.
Informal media scoring from the Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland middleweight bout revealed a narrow split, with 13 of 24 journalists at ringside or covering the event giving the nod to Chimaev, while the remaining 11 scored it in favor of Strickland.
Sean Strickland, known as "Tarzan," entered the fight as the reigning middleweight champion, carrying a record of 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and brings a relentless pressure style to the cage, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach that helps him work effectively at range. His takedown defense has historically been a key factor in keeping fights standing.
Khamzat Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," came in ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound standings with an undefeated-until-recently record of 15-1-0. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates and training out of Allstars Training Center is one of the most dominant grapplers in the division, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in the same span. His striking accuracy sits at an elite 60 percent, despite a lower volume of 4.04 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- The near-even media split underscores how competitive the matchup was, with no clear consensus on a winner round by round
- A bout this close between the top-ranked contender and the reigning champion carries significant implications for the middleweight title picture
- The contrasting styles — Strickland's high-volume striking versus Chimaev's grappling-heavy, high-accuracy approach — made round scoring genuinely difficult for observers
