Sean Strickland is easily one of the most polarizing figures in UFC history—beloved by some, and downright loathed by others. After his thrilling decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday night, it’s time for his fans and haters alike to acknowledge the reality: He is a truly incredible fighter.
Strickland met Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark. The bout marked his opportunity to reclaim the middleweight title he first won with a stunning decision defeat of Israel Adesanya in 2023. For all his skill, there were frankly few outside his inner circle who confidently believed he could prevail.
Heading into UFC 328, Strickland was a substantial underdog. Despite his iconic title win over Adesanya, he was just 2-2 in his last four fights, with wins over Paulo Costa and Anthony Hernandez counterbalancing championship losses to South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis.
Nobody was labelling him washed up, but there was reason to wonder whether he was still a top-tier middleweight, and plenty of cause to doubt him against Chimaev, who had never been beaten in MMA, and had in fact dominated nearly everyone he’d fought to date, including Du Plessis and former champ Robert Whittaker.
The fight turned out to be full of surprises. The first big surprise occurred just as the contest began, when the two fighters, who spent all week threatening to kill each other, touched gloves, and instantly cooled what had been labelled one of the fieriest grudge matches in UFC history. It was immediately clear that the animosity between them had been overblown—but that did not stop them from fighting like they owed each other money.
Chimaev, widely considered one of the most imposing grapplers in MMA history, hit his first takedown of the fight in less than 15 seconds.
That was not particularly shocking, as he gave the same treatment to Du Plessis and Whittaker, as well as the likes of Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland, and Gilbert Burns. However, what initially looked like the first moment of a very tough night for Strickland turned out to be anything but.
In round two, Strickland began to flaunt all of his championship mettle, reversing a Chimaev takedown attempt and winding up in top position to the roar of the fans inside the host Prudential Centre. Miraculously, his success carried into rounds two and three, as he continued to fight off takedowns and impose himself with his trademark jab. Chimaev, who looked increasingly compromised throughout those rounds, managed to surge back in round four, but ultimately couldn’t impose himself the way he has against everyone else.
In round five, he landed another takedown, only for Strickland to return to the feet and rack up more points with his striking, with the New Jersey crowd going absolutely ballistic outside the cage.
By the time the fifth and final round was over, there was no question that we had a close fight on our hands. It was the kind of contest that could have gone either way, without being a robbery in either case. In the words of commentator Joe Rogan, it simply “doesn’t get much closer.”
In the end, though, the judges awarded the decision—and the middleweight title—to Strickland.
“One judge valued the takedowns, the other two judges valued the striking of Sean Strickland,” said commentator Daniel Cormier.
Strickland’s win over Chimaev completely upended the middleweight division. Before UFC 328, there was talk of the unbeaten champ moving up to light heavyweight, and perhaps even heavyweight, to battle Alex Pereira. His victory was spoken of like a foregone conclusion, and actually a problem for the division. It was widely expected that he would win in dominant fashion, then take off, leaving a growing list of contenders to squabble amongst themselves.
For that reason, Strickland’s win can be seen as a very positive development. Suddenly, there is hope for the likes of Nassourdine Imavov, Joe Pyfer, and Caio Borralho, who may have never received title shots had Chimaev kept the belt. As beneficial as Strickland’s win over Chimaev may be for the division, though, the real takeaway here is what it means for him as an individual fighter.
In 25 minutes, he completely changed how fans perceive him.
Perhaps we should have known better after his 2023 win over Adesanya. Before that win, which also came by decision, Strickland was considered a solid contender, but not much more. By dethroning Adesanya, who at the time was considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, he proved that he is absolutely a championship-level fighter.
His losses to Du Plessis—particularly the second, which was far more decisive than the first—led most fans to believe he was more of a flash in the pan. But after his stunning defeat of Chimaev, which ranks among the biggest upsets in recent history and easily one of the best fights of the year, it was a reminder that we all needed.
Strickland may not be as flashy as Anderson Silva, as consistent as Georges St-Pierre, or as dominant as Demetrious Johnson, but he is, without question, an all-time great fighter. He will most likely continue to polarize fans with his unhinged trash talk, but his legacy is unimpeachable, and it’s time we give him the respect he deserves.
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