A detailed analysis suggests Sean Strickland's victory over Khamzat Chimaev was a clear 3-2 decision, with surprise that it was ruled split. Judge Sue Sanidad, a BJJ instructor who hadn't worked a UFC event since 2014, scored the fifth round for Chimaev. The bout followed a familiar pattern: Chimaev dominated the first round with wrestling, then faded cardio-wise before reverting to striking and eventually returning to wrestling from a position of weakness. This mirrored his three-round fight against Kamaru Usman. Strickland showed nothing new tactically but Chimaev had no definitive answers for his basic skillset. The pre-fight handshake and mid-fight "I love you" comment from Chimaev seemed inconsistent with months of built-up animosity. With Chimaev reportedly moving to light heavyweight, a rematch with Imavov was deemed unlikely, while Strickland defending against Imavov makes logical sense despite lower media appeal.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
