Sean Strickland produced a huge upset last Saturday, beating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision after entering the fight as the clear outsider.
Chimaev had been undefeated before facing Strickland and was widely viewed as the favourite, especially because of the wrestling pressure that had carried his rise.
That danger appeared early, but Chimaev faded after the first round and struggled to consistently impose his grappling from the second round onwards, which left the fight much more open after the early dominance.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Henry Cejudo did not agree with the judges, despite being pleased to see Strickland leave with the victory over an undefeated opponent.
“I thought Khamzat Chimaev actually won this fight. And again, I was going for Strickland. I’m happy for Strickland, that was super cool that he was able to get a victory,” he said while speaking on his Pound 4 Pound show with Kamaru Usman.
The former UFC two-division champion made clear that his own card leaned away from the official outcome.
“I’m gonna have to rewatch this fight but, from what I saw, it could’ve gone 4-1 Chimaev or maybe 3-2 Chimaev,” Cejudo added.
The result has left the middleweight division in a complicated position, with Chimaev’s future suddenly less certain after losing his perfect record.
Dana White said the Chechen star told him he wanted to move up, although Chimaev later hinted online that he wanted another meeting with Strickland.
Strickland, meanwhile, pointed towards Nassourdine Imavov as the contender who should receive the next title shot, leaving the division with several possible routes.
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