Sean Strickland retained his middleweight championship with a 3-2 split decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, marking his second major upset victory after previously defeating Israel Adesanya. Strickland broke Chimaev's nose and maintained his fundamental striking game plan throughout the fight. Chimaev showed a familiar pattern from his fight with Kamaru Usman: dominant first-round wrestling followed by cardio decline and struggles to maintain his grappling offense in later rounds. Judge Sue Sanidad, working her first UFC event since 2014, controversially scored the fifth round for Chimaev. Post-fight, Chimaev indicated plans to move to light heavyweight, potentially facing Paulo Costa, while Strickland appears likely to defend against Nassourdine Imavov next. Strickland now holds six victories over current top-15 middleweights, solidifying his legitimacy as champion despite ongoing criticism of his reign.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
