Strickland defeats Chimaev by split decision, likely moving Chimaev to light heavyweight

Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev in a major upset victory that marks Strickland's second shocking win after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. The author scored the fight 3-2 for Strickland across five rounds, though one judge, Sue Sanidad, controversially scored the fifth round for Chimaev, resulting in a split decision. Chimaev showed dominant wrestling in the first round but faded due to cardio issues, similar to his previous fight with Kamaru Usman. Interestingly, Chimaev is now ready to move up to light heavyweight (93 kg) rather than pursue a rematch, with a potential matchup against Paulo Costa already on the horizon. For Strickland, a logical next title defense would be a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov, as Strickland now holds six victories over current top-15 middleweights.