Photos were released showing the facial condition of Khamzat Chimaev following his UFC 328 middleweight title fight against Sean Strickland. The post simply presents visual evidence of the damage sustained during the five-round championship bout. No specific details about the nature or extent of the injuries are provided in the text. The images document the physical toll of the competitive fight. UFC 328 featured Chimaev's unsuccessful title challenge against Strickland.
Photos circulating after UFC 328 on May 9 reveal the physical punishment Khamzat Chimaev absorbed during his five-round middleweight title challenge against Sean Strickland, with visible facial damage documenting just how demanding the championship bout proved for the contender.
Strickland, known as "Tarzan," successfully defended the middleweight title to improve to 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture, fought out of an orthodox stance and brought one of the most active striking outputs in the division into the contest, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, the champion has built his reputation on relentless forward pressure and volume over five rounds.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," drops to 15-1-0 with the loss — his second career defeat. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates and Allstars Training Center entered the fight ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. At six-foot-two, he carries elite grappling credentials, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, along with a striking accuracy rate of 60 percent. Despite those numbers, the images released following the fight suggest Strickland's output took a clear toll across the championship rounds.
Why it matters
- Strickland retains the middleweight title, reinforcing his standing as champion at 35 years old
- Chimaev suffers just the second loss of his career, complicating his path back to a title shot
- The bout highlighted the contrast in styles — Strickland's volume striking versus Chimaev's grappling-heavy approach — across a full five rounds
Saturday, May 9, 2026
