Sean Strickland has once again defied the odds. The 35-year-old defeated Khamzat Chimaev via split decision on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, reclaiming the middleweight championship for a second time. He achieved this against expectations that had largely written him off.
“I just want to apologize to my American fans, to my Muslim fans, to my Christian fans,” Strickland said after his victory. “I went too f–king hard, I will admit it. I respect all of you guys. Chechnya has great fighters. They are savage. He is a f–king savage. I should be a better f–king example, but I try to sell these fights for you f–kers. I appreciate you.”
As Strickland delivered his post-fight message, Khamzat Chimaev was seen leaving the Octagon without granting an interview, visibly devastated by the result. The loss not only ended his undefeated UFC run but also extended a peculiar middleweight curse that has plagued several champions over the years.
Khamzat Chimaev entered the bout on a dominant nine-fight UFC win streak before suffering his first defeat. Ironically, the same fate befell Dricus Du Plessis, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and MMA legend Chris Weidman. Each fighter captured the middleweight title while on a nine-fight streak, only to eventually lose afterward.
“And the curse continues,” MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin succinctly summarized on X.
But Chimaev’s loss didn’t sit well with fans, who quickly took to social media to cry foul.
One user claimed Sean Strickland was awarded the win unfairly. “Khamzat won. That’s not fair. Stupid decision. Sean did nothing except for the jabs,” the user wrote. Khamzat Chimaev started the fight strong, dominating ‘Tarzan’ in the first round. However, as the rounds progressed, Strickland gained the upper hand on the feet. Even when Chimaev attempted to rally with wrestling in the later rounds, Strickland managed to stuff the takedowns. It was a competitive fight, but Strickland edged it out.
Another fan was displeased with one of the judges. “Chimaev won that fight. Bad decision. And how is Sal D’Amato a judge on EVERY card?” the fan asked. D’Amato scored the first and fourth rounds for Chimaev, with the rest going to Strickland.
Even the next user echoed similar sentiments. “Robbery. Khamzat won,” the user posted. Interestingly, only Judge Sue Sanidad had Chimaev winning the fight, with the sole difference being that she gave the final round to Khamzat Chimaev.
Meanwhile, another user criticized the fight overall. “Glorified sparring match. MMA above welterweight is trash,” the user wrote. This sentiment likely stems from expectations of a knockout finish, which becomes difficult when one fighter continuously attempts takedowns and keeps the opponent grounded.
But not everyone was disappointed by the outcome. “Strickland is my new hero,” one user commented. Khamzat Chimaev has long been labeled boring, so many fans were eager to see him fall short of the title.
In any case, the fight was a very close affair, and a rematch is not out of the question—though when that might happen remains uncertain.