According to media scorecards, 13 out of 24 journalists gave the fight to Khamzat Chimaev in his bout against Sean Strickland at UFC 328. This indicates significant disagreement with the official judges' split decision in favor of Strickland. The close media scoring reflects the competitive nature of the five-round title fight. Nearly half of the media felt Chimaev had done enough to win. The post also mentions alternative content platforms for those experiencing loading issues. Official judging and media scores often diverge in closely contested championship bouts.
Thirteen of 24 media members who scored the UFC 328 main event on May 9 gave the fight to Khamzat Chimaev, revealing a sharp divide between press row and the official judges who awarded Sean Strickland a split decision victory in their middleweight title fight.
Strickland, 35, retained the middleweight championship with that split verdict, improving his record to 31-7-0. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and has built his reputation on relentless output, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy across his career. He now holds the belt and the win, regardless of how the media saw the scorecards.
Chimaev, 30, entered the contest ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, carrying a 15-1-0 record into his title challenge. The UAE-based fighter, training out of Allstars Training Center, brings elite grappling pressure to every bout, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 60 percent. The loss moves him to 15-1-0 and marks only the second blemish of any kind in his professional career.
Why it matters
- Thirteen of 24 media scorers believed Chimaev did enough to win, suggesting the official split decision was genuinely contestable
- Strickland retains the middleweight title but the narrow media split may fuel calls for an immediate rematch
- The style matchup pitted Chimaev's grappling-heavy aggression against Strickland's high-volume striking, a combination that historically produces difficult rounds to score
- Divisional rankings will bear watching, as Chimaev's pound-for-pound and middleweight standing could shift following the defeat
Saturday, May 9, 2026
