Sean Strickland secured a split decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, marking his second major upset in recent years after defeating Israel Adesanya. The author scored the fight 3-2 for Strickland, though judge Sue Sanidad scored the fifth round for Chimaev. Chimaev showed familiar patterns from his Kamaru Usman fight: dominant first-round wrestling followed by cardio decline and extended standup exchanges. Strickland displayed his standard skillset with no new techniques, but Chimaev lacked definitive answers to his approach. Post-fight, Chimaev expressed immediate interest in moving to light heavyweight rather than pursuing a rematch. For Strickland's next defense, a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov is suggested as logical, with Strickland now holding six wins over current top-15 middleweights. The author questioned the pre-fight reconciliation between the fighters after months of promoting intense rivalry.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
