Sean Strickland upsets Khamzat Chimaev for middleweight title at UFC 328
Sean Strickland defied the odds to become a two-time UFC champion – and hand Khamzat Chimaev his first loss.
A big talking point ahead of the UFC 328 main event was how no one had attempted to submit Sean Strickland . The former middleweight champion made a point of latent homophobic and sexist comments, consistent with his persona, to explain why he's never been submitted and doesn't wind up in that position. Saturday, he wound up there a bunch in the first round.
But he survived, then turned the tide in a completely unexpected way and gave middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev the type of close fight few outside Strickland's camp likely were expecting. The champ was more than a 5-1 favorite and was unbeaten. But Strickland (29-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) recaptured the middleweight title with a split decision at Prudential Center in Newark, N.
J. He took the fight with a pair of 48-47 scores; Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) took a dissenting 48-47 scorecard, but it still resulted in the first loss of his career – and a shocker on the East Coast. Strickland said he broke his nose in the fight in his post-fight interview.
He also said he was sorry for his pre-fight talk and antics on the way to the bout, which included threats of gun violence. But in the end, Chimaev embraced Strickland and put the belt around his waist to make him a two-time middleweight champion. #AndNew #UFC328 pic.
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