UFC 328, The Morning After: Khamzat’s Fatal Flaw Finally Strikes

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 09: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia prepares to face Sean Strickland in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 328 event at Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Everybody knows Khamzat Chimaev gets tired . Even early in his UFC career — back when Chimaev’s fights were not exceeding the six-minute mark — that was the question about “Borz.

” He’s a singular force unlike almost anything in UFC history in that literally nobody can stop his first round wrestling barrage, but what happens afterward? Like a knockout artist who swings for the fence from the first bell, everybody knows those punches lose their sting by round two. Over the years, the “Borz” gas tank has consistently struggled when met with resistance.

This was notable against Gilbert Burns back in 2022, as the smaller Brazilian managed to drop Chimaev in the second after forcing him into a standup war. Given just a couple of days to prepare, Kamaru Usman nearly ended Chimaev’s unbeaten run a year later, surviving the first round and then arguably winning the next two. Of course, between these moments were surges of domination.

Robert Whittaker theoretically had the skill to punish Chimaev’s fatal flaw on the grand stage. Having survived the ground attacks of Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza , Whittaker is more than proven defensively. Chimaev ran him over, however, and thus his shortcomings could be forgotten.