Few issues infuriate martial arts followers greater than a misscored bout, however the phrase “robber” tends to be thrown round carelessly and is commonly full of prejudice. In Theft Overview, we glance again at controversial matches and determine whether or not the judges’ calls have been justified, or whether or not pundits want to look at their very own knee-jerk reactions.
Sean Strickland. A heated and shut battle with an opponent that can not be defeated. The choice was a cut up, and lots of followers questioned the consequence (and those that doubted the consequence additionally doubted it).
Sure, I feel I am again within the housebreaking screening lab.
Strickland grew to become middleweight champion for the second time final Saturday at UFC 328 by ruining Khamzat Chimaev’s excellent document and maybe his whole aura together with his trademark gritty, abrasive efficiency. Chimaev constructed a reputation for himself by dominating opponents with aggressive grappling and uncooked energy, and regardless of some shut calls, he stays a robust contender to defend the belt.
However when the mud settled, it was Strickland who claimed one other historic upset. Whereas not as decisive as his gorgeous victory over Israel Adesanya in 2023, given Chimaev’s fame, this win has had the same resonance, albeit with extra controversy.
The pre-battle construct featured a number of cases of opponents hinting at truly killing one another, however there’s actually just one factor to do. “Let’s attempt it.” acquire. Scientific.
What occurred to the official outcomes?
Sean Strickland def. Khamzat Chimaev wins by cut up choice.
Lower than 15 seconds into the sport, Chimaev took his first shot and Strickland went down. Only a minute later, Chimaev took Strickland’s again and it regarded just like the oddsmakers have been going for it.
Nonetheless, Strickland is thought for his stout grappling protection, so he did an amazing job of avoiding harm and heading off Chimaev’s takedown makes an attempt, regardless of the complete power of Chimaev’s floor offense. Chimaev dominated the opening spherical, however Strickland barely regarded again, realizing he had 20 minutes to show issues round.
Within the second spherical, Strickland threw a flurry of punches and established a long-range assault. His signature jab clearly bothered Chimaev, who immediately wasn’t wrestling quick. When the champions acquired their pictures, Strickland made it straightforward and truly got here out on high. Strickland stayed in Chimaev’s guard and did not do a lot harm, however it was a press release. One other Chimaev takedown and Strickland as soon as once more gained the place sport, ending the spherical on high. Keep in mind all these questions on Chimaev’s fuel tank?
Chimaev rapidly confirmed extra urgency to begin the third, touchdown a tough proper to Strickland’s jaw. An sudden jab battle broke out, with Strickland touchdown extra, however Chimaev doing higher work to the top and physique. Total, Chimaev mixed his blows effectively in addition to swinging for the fences, however Strickland continued to jab him. Chimaev’s punch drew blood from Strickland’s nostril, so he undoubtedly did some respectable harm. Ridiculously shut rounds.
Transferring into spherical 4, Chimaev was as soon as once more the aggressor, keen to play Strickland’s stand-up sport. A daring selection. Severely, this changed into a boxing match with some leg kicks. Though Strickland was circling and retreating, he led the dance, letting Chimaev work inside his vary and deciding when to have interaction. Chimaev was all smiles and continued to land punches and low kicks. However Strickland caught to his sport plan, scoring with one straight punch after one other.
1 minute left within the 4th, Chimaev will get a takedown! Too little, too late?
Chimaev picked up the place he left off, knocking Strickland down within the fifth spherical, however Strickland acquired again to his ft nearly instantly. The champions utilized strain, however Strickland’s grappling protection was stable. This battle shall be determined at our ft. Similar to within the fourth spherical, they only went forwards and backwards, breaking down one another’s defenses and touchdown the occasional head-shaking shot. Chimaev was delayed in grappling as he needed to make an exclamation mark throughout the spherical, however this ended on the ft.
Eric Colon scored Strickland, 48-47.
Sal D’Amato scored for a 48-47 Strickland win.
Sue Sanidad scored 48-47 Chimaev.
All three judges agreed to advance to the ultimate spherical, with Chimaev scoring 1 and 4 and Strickland scoring 2 and three. Colon and D’Amato acquired Strickland spherical 5, and Sanidad gave it to Chimaev.
What did the numbers inform us?
(Statistics through UFC Stats)
Normal disclaimer: Main strikes do not inform the entire story.
However among the tales they inform are closely in Strickland’s favor.
Strickland gained with key strikes within the second spherical (15-10), third spherical (43-29), and fifth spherical (31-22) for a complete rating of 123-98. The distinction was even larger in case you solely counted blows to the top, with Strickland defeating Chimaev 118-52. Once more, significance is subjective, however from a pure numbers standpoint, Strickland landed extra hits than Chimaev was hit.
Of word, Chimaev had practically 5 minutes of management time within the first spherical, but had zero important strikes or submission makes an attempt. There’s nothing disputed about this spherical, however it helps clarify why Chimaev did not get 10 wins and eight losses.
Chimaev additionally had six takedowns within the fifth spherical, which can be why Sanidad gave him the sting, however once more he landed zero important strikes.
Media scores on MMA Choices have been cut up proper down the center, with Strickland scoring 11 factors and Chimaev scoring 13 factors. On the far finish of the scorecard was Residence of Struggle’s Jake Knocker, who watched the struggle stay and gave Strickland 4 rounds. On the opposite facet was MMA Preventing’s Jed Messiu, who gave Chimaev scorecards of 10-8 for the primary struggle and 48-46 for the win, which is fairly regular for Strickland followers.
(Information from MMA selections and MMA verdicts)
When it got here to the MMA choice, 64 p.c of voters agreed with Strickland’s rating of 48-47, whereas 23 p.c agreed with the other rating of 48-47. Then there are a couple of different scores, together with 49-46 Chimaev (3.8%), 49-46 Strickland (2.5%), and the at all times horny 48-48 tie (1.6%).
Based on the MMA app Verdict, Stickland gained by simply 28 factors.
Unsurprisingly, the bout stalled heading into the fifth spherical, with Chimaev and Strickland securing wins of their respective rounds, with Strickland profitable the ultimate spherical by 54 factors, in response to Verdict Person.
It is me saying this, and I do not imply to decrease the standard of the competition, however this championship struggle actually grew to become a middleweight battle of middleweights, and nobody appeared to note.
Maybe it is due to the stakes, the personalities concerned, or the truth that the approach was at an total excessive stage, however from spherical 2 onwards, this kind of scenario felt like a kind of random middleweight qualifiers the place neither fighter may pull off the opposite. If this have been Jacob Marcon vs. Brad Tavares and it performed out the identical means, nobody would argue that one would dominate the opposite. However within the case of Strickland and Chimaev, you will get a robust opinion.
Rounds 3, 4, and 5 are all debatable for my part.
I assumed Strickland was cruising the primary half of spherical 3 earlier than Chimaev began destroying him with more durable punches, however total I favored Strickland’s quantity. Strickland undoubtedly harm Chimaev as effectively, so it is potential that I am downplaying Strickland’s bloody face as a result of I do not wish to emphasize the visible harm. 10-9 Strickland.
In spherical 4, Chimaev was up 10-9. As a result of regardless that he turned up the quantity, he gave the impression to be touchdown with a bit extra power.
The ultimate spherical was much like the third spherical, with Strickland having a slight lead on my card. Trying once more, head strikes have been an enormous think about my rating, and Strickland had an enormous lead in that class over the previous three rounds. It was additionally clear to me that Strickland was deciding how the sport would go, simply as a lot on the touchdown as he was. 10-9 Strickland, 48-47 total in favor of Strickland.
As for Chimaev’s probabilities of going 10-8 within the first spherical, I did not rating it that means, however I perceive the reasoning behind it. Sure, harm is vital, however current language changes have made it potential to interpret benefit to incorporate harm as effectively.
From the August 2025 Sportsnet article:
The opposite two “D’s”, Dominance and Period, each now embody harm by definition.
Dominance is outlined as “superiority in positioning, motion, and/or quantity by one fighter over a time period” and is now labeled as a profitable tactic geared toward inflicting harm.
That actually appears like what Chimaev did in opposition to Strickland in spherical one. Nonetheless, with no main harm or submission makes an attempt, my card stands at 10-9.
No, 48-47 Strickland is totally authorized. However guess what? Similar goes for Chimaev, 49-46. Or 49-46 Strickland. It was simply such a battle.
Chimaev clearly gained spherical one, clearly dropped spherical two, and went head-to-head with Strickland for the remainder of the struggle. I do not understand how anybody may overcome the final quarter-hour of blows and have any confidence that both fighter acquired away with the change. They traded jabs, threw mixtures, and even saved one another off steadiness a couple of occasions. I by no means felt Chimaev was at his restrict, even when his physique language left one thing to be desired. Merely put, in case you supported Chimaev’s work within the fourth spherical, you might argue that he did a adequate job to get by means of the third and fifth rounds as effectively, even when the outcomes weren’t as constant (I am going to admit that the fifth spherical is a stretch).
I scored for Strickland, identical to he did in opposition to Drikas du Plessis at UFC 297, however Chimaev has room to win right here as effectively, as does his total efficiency.
