Strickland defeats Chimaev via split decision in UFC 328 upset victory

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 in a major upset, marking his second shocking victory after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. The fight saw Chimaev dominate the first round with wrestling before experiencing cardio issues, similar to his bout against Kamaru Usman. Strickland displayed his typical technical striking approach while Chimaev struggled to maintain his early pace over five rounds. One judge, Sue Sanidad (a BJJ instructor who hadn't worked a UFC event since 2014), controversially scored the fifth round for Chimaev, resulting in a split decision rather than unanimous verdict. Following the loss, Chimaev has indicated plans to move up to light heavyweight rather than pursue an immediate rematch.