Despite having no questions about Chimaev's performance in the fight, the analyst expresses satisfaction with Sean Strickland's victory at UFC 328. The piece notes that Strickland has been underestimated for years, was called a transitional champion, and was essentially fed to Chimaev to create a major main event. Yet for the second time (after Adesanya), Strickland pulled off the upset of the year. The analysis suggests Chimaev showed similar patterns to his fight with Usman—dominant first round wrestling, then cardio issues, then striking, then struggling wrestling attempts. Regarding scoring, the writer saw it as a clear 3-2 for Strickland and was surprised it was a split decision, with judge Sue Sanidad (a BJJ instructor who hadn't worked UFC events since 2014) controversially scoring round five for Chimaev. Looking ahead, the post suggests Chimaev will move to light heavyweight (possibly facing Paulo Costa), while Strickland could defend against Nassourdine Imavov, with Strickland now holding six wins over current top-15 middleweights.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
