Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship for the second time in his career, handing Khamzat Chimaev his first professional defeat in the main event of UFC 328 on Saturday night.
Chimaev entered the bout as a heavy favorite, but Strickland brushed aside the oddsmakers’ predictions. Leading up to the event, the American insisted he possessed the right style to hand “Borz” his maiden loss—a claim he ultimately backed up with his performance.
Many observers scored the middleweight title fight as even after four rounds, with each fighter winning two. The three cageside judges agreed on that scorecard heading into the final round. In the end, two judges awarded the bout to Strickland, while one scored it for Chimaev, resulting in a split-decision victory for the American.
