In a shocking conclusion late Saturday night at the Prudential Center, middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev lost a split decision to challenger Sean Strickland.
All three judges awarded Strickland Rounds 2 and 3, setting up a decisive fifth round that ultimately determined the outcome. Two of the three judges gave the final round to Strickland, securing him the victory and the championship.
The win marked the second time in Strickland’s career that he has held the belt. Meanwhile, Chimaev reportedly told Dana White after the fight that he is interested in moving up from the 185-pound division, though it also appears he has interest in a rematch with Strickland.
Not long after the fight, Chimaev took to social media to send a four-word message to Strickland, posting, “see you again soon,” while tagging his opponent.
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Right from the opening bell, Chimaev wasted little time shooting for a takedown, successfully bringing Strickland to the mat early in the fight. However, despite landing nine total takedowns throughout the bout, Chimaev did relatively little with his control, finishing with just over seven minutes of control time, while Strickland logged roughly three minutes of his own.
As Strickland’s takedown defense improved as the fight progressed, the matchup increasingly stayed on the feet — exactly the type of fight Strickland appeared to want.
Strickland ultimately landed 160 total strikes, including 123 significant strikes, with 118 targeting the head. Chimaev finished with 137 total strikes and 98 significant strikes, showing more variety in his attack with 52 head strikes, 35 body shots, and 11 leg kicks.
By the fifth round, the striking battle had become the deciding factor. Strickland landed 31 of his 88 attempted strikes in the round, compared to Chimaev’s 22 landed on 57 attempts, helping sway the judges in the decisive final frame.
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