Rematch! Sean Strickland’s controversial win over Khamzat Chimaev calls for immediate do-over | UFC 328
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 09: Khamzat Chimaev of the United Arab Emirates and Sean Strickland of the United States in a middleweight title bout during UFC 328 at the Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images No. 2-ranked middleweight contender, Nassourdine Imavov, was hoping to get the winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs.
Sean Strickland, who went to war in the UFC 328 main event last Sat. night (May 9, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In the immortal words of Matt Serra : Hit the road, Frenchy.
Strickland won a hotly-contested split decision to reclaim the crown from Chimaev, a five-round battle that appeared to favor “Borz. ” Judges Eric Colon and Sal D’Amato disagreed , giving the pivotal fifth round to Strickland, with Sue Sanidad the only judge scoring the final frame in favor of Chimaev. Against the odds 😤 @SStricklandMMA gets the split-decision victory to earn middleweight gold at #UFC328 !
pic. twitter. com/hBKe15bSh9 — UFC (@ufc) May 10, 2026 See how the scorecards were broken down here .
Regardless of the outcome, the fight was close enough to warrant an immediate rematch. Chimaev dominated early, then struggled to keep pace in the second and third rounds, before coming on strong late in the fight. Former champion Dricus Du Plessis holds two victories over Strickland , but I’m not sure UFC fans are clamoring for a third fight between “Tarzan” and “Stillknocks.