NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – Sean Strickland once again defied the odds and stunned the MMA world, earning a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Chimaev entered the bout as a heavy favorite, but Strickland, who was a +375 underdog, proved his doubters wrong, much like he did when he upset Israel Adesanya in 2023. While that win was more decisive against a flat Adesanya, this time Strickland neutralized Chimaev’s wrestling, turning the fight into a stand-up battle where he narrowly outworked his opponent.
According to the official scorecards, judge Sue Sanidad scored the fight 48-47 for Chimaev, while judges Sal D’Amato and Eric Colon both had it 48-47 for Strickland. The decisive round was not the third, as some might expect—all three judges awarded round three to Strickland—but the fifth. Colon and D’Amato gave round five to Strickland, while Sanidad saw it for Chimaev.
Round one went to Chimaev across all scorecards, as the Chechen dominated with wrestling, keeping Strickland on the ground and threatening with multiple choke attempts. When Strickland finally got back to his feet, Chimaev picked him up and slammed him back down.
In round two, Strickland reversed the momentum, stuffing a takedown and putting Chimaev on his back. Strickland held top control for several minutes, later stuffing another takedown that left Chimaev on his back in guard. All three judges awarded round two to Strickland.
Round three also went to Strickland after Chimaev abandoned takedown attempts and engaged on the feet. Strickland landed repeated jabs while Chimaev tried to match the volume. Although Chimaev bloodied Strickland’s nose, the judges favored Strickland’s work rate, giving him the round unanimously.
Round four swung back to Chimaev on all three scorecards. Both fighters spent most of the round striking, but Chimaev’s more varied attack outperformed Strickland’s one-note punches. At the end of the round, Chimaev took Strickland down and controlled him to secure the round.
Round five proved to be the split round. The key moments came down to Chimaev’s takedown attempts versus Strickland’s ability to defend or immediately get back up. Once the fight returned to the feet, Strickland followed his coach’s advice, mixing in a follow-up right hand after his jabs, landing repeatedly. While Chimaev answered with heavier punches, Strickland’s volume earned him the nod from two judges.
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