Images have been posted showing Khamzat Chimaev's facial condition following his fight with Sean Strickland at UFC 328. The post includes visual documentation of the physical toll from the bout. Multiple Telegram channels shared similar content showing Chimaev's appearance the day after the fight. The images provide evidence of the damage sustained during what was a competitive five-round contest. Details about specific injuries visible in the photos were limited in the post itself.
Images circulating across multiple Telegram channels in the days following UFC 328 show Khamzat Chimaev's face bearing significant visible damage from his five-round middleweight title fight against Sean Strickland on May 9, 2026.
Chimaev, known as "Borz," entered the contest as the number-one ranked middleweight and the tenth-ranked fighter pound-for-pound in the world. The 32-year-old representing the UAE and training out of Allstars Training Center carried a 15-1-0 record into the night, along with a reputation built on elite grappling — he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate. The photos, reportedly taken the day after the bout, offer a stark visual testament to how competitive the contest proved to be.
On the other side of the cage stood Sean "Tarzan" Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture holds a 31-7-0 record and has built his title reign on relentless forward pressure and volume striking, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute. At six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, Strickland is one of the division's most durable and prolific punch-throwers.
Why it matters
- The visible damage on Chimaev confirms the fight lived up to its billing as a genuinely competitive five-round championship exchange
- Strickland's volume output — among the highest in the division — represents a distinct threat to even the most durable opponents
- The middleweight title picture and any future divisional direction will likely be shaped by the full official outcome of this contest
- Chimaev's pound-for-pound ranking and elite grappling credentials made him one of the most credible title challengers the division has seen
Saturday, May 9, 2026
