Sean Strickland is opening up about the tense moment that nearly derailed his title victory at UFC 328, admitting that trusting Khamzat Chimaev to keep their fight standing was a gamble that almost backfired in spectacular fashion.
The outspoken middleweight captured his second UFC title in stunning fashion, pulling off an upset against the previously unbeaten champion. Despite a rocky start where he was dominated in the opening round, Strickland showed incredible resilience, rallying to edge out a split decision victory. Two judges scored it 48-47 in his favor, but one judge—Sue Sanidad—gave the final round to Chimaev, and that single scorecard decision made the difference.
That critical moment came after both fighters had seemingly agreed to stand and trade in the center of the octagon. According to Strickland, Chimaev called for a stand-up battle, and he took the bait. But the numbers tell a different story: Strickland absorbed 72 total strikes compared to just 55 of his own, and the late takedown in the fifth round proved costly on the scorecards.
“Did you see in the fifth round what he did to me?” Strickland recalled after the fight. “He pointed and said something like ‘let’s give the people what they want, let’s have the man dance or some s— and I was like ‘okay, I trust you guy that just kicked me in the b—s yesterday.’”
Strickland continued, “I said ‘I trust you Chimaev, you seem like a real trustworthy guy, we shook hands, I like your smile. So I put my hands up and he f—ing shoots on me. So I remember he has me up against the cage and I’m thinking ‘if you f—ing lose this fight because you were a dumb f—— fight and trusted this man?’”
It was a moment of high drama in a night full of action. The near-brawl between Josh Hokit and Paulo Costa added to the chaos, while Strickland himself made a surprising admission about his feud with Chimaev. Meanwhile, injury concerns surround Arman Tsarukyan, whose White House backup stint may impact his fight with Tony Ferguson.
For fans of the sport, this fight was a reminder that even the best-laid plans can go awry—and sometimes, trusting your opponent is the riskiest move of all.