Did Sean Strickland Win?
Yes. Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to become a two-time UFC Middleweight Champion. Two judges scored the bout 48-47 for Strickland; the third had it 48-47 for Chimaev. It was the first loss of Chimaev’s professional career.
The Context
Strickland first won the middleweight title in September 2023, upsetting Israel Adesanya in a decision that few saw coming. He lost the belt to Dricus du Plessis in January 2024 in another split decision, a result that remained disputed in the middleweight conversation for much of the year that followed. Chimaev took the title from du Plessis and entered UFC 328 as its first defense, unbeaten across his entire UFC run, widely considered among the most physically dominant fighters in the organization.
Strickland entered as a significant underdog on most sportsbooks, north of 4-to-1 against in many markets.
The Fight
Strickland’s approach was consistent with how he has operated throughout his career: high output, minimal damage absorption, sustained pressure on the feet. Chimaev’s primary path to victory ran through his grappling, and Strickland’s takedown defense disrupted that plan across large portions of the fight. The third and fourth rounds were contested almost entirely standing, with Chimaev landing the heavier individual shots and Strickland accumulating volume. In the fifth, Chimaev secured an early takedown, Strickland worked back to his feet, and both fighters traded until the final horn.
The result was close enough that it will be argued over. Chimaev left the cage without waiting for the decision announcement. Strickland, by contrast, said he admitted he had gone too hard and apologized to his fans — an uncharacteristically subdued post-fight tone from a fighter known for provocative public statements.
What It Means
Strickland is now a two-time middleweight champion, one of a small group of fighters to reclaim a UFC title after losing it. The win also ends Chimaev’s unbeaten run, which had defined the middleweight division’s recent trajectory and been the basis for positioning him as a future pound-for-pound entrant. A rematch is likely the immediate conversation, though split decisions involving Chimaev have not historically produced quick rematches.
The co-main event at UFC 328 produced its own significant result: Joshua Van retained the flyweight title with a fifth-round TKO of Tatsuro Taira, in a fight that drew wide praise as a candidate for Fight of the Year.