The result of the UFC 328 main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland continues to stir debate. Sean Strickland beat Khamzat Chimaev in Newark, New Jersey, last Saturday via a split decision. The win stripped the Russian of his UFC title and unbeaten streak in one of the year’s biggest upsets.
Two judges decided the fight 48-47 in favor of Strickland, crowning him a two-time UFC middleweight champion and ending the Chechen star’s reign in his very first defense. Some observers, including former UFC champions, think Chimaev deserved the victory by the final bell. Others, like Australian MMA star Alexander Volkanovski and former UFC featherweight Korean Zombie, think the judges made the right call.
Alex Volkanovski and Korean Zombie weigh in on UFC 328 aftermath debate
Veteran judges Eric Colon and Sal D’Amato scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland. On MMA Decisions, 64.3 percent of the 1,493 submitted fan scorecards agreed with that scoring of the UFC 328 main event. Media members reportedly have an even wider divide in their debate over the fight’s true winner. Thirteen of 24 voters say Strickland lost the fight. However, Volkanovski and the Korean Zombie insist on siding with the jury.
“I think Sean wins. I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win. I didn’t expect him [Khamzat] to get tired that earlier…
It shouldn’t have been split. There was two of the rounds where he got the takedown in the ends but he was losing the whole round.”
Alexander Volkanovski is the current and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion. He’s also the first Australian-born fighter to win a UFC championship. As of this report, he is #3 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings, with many regarding him as one of the greatest featherweights ever. The Korean Zombie (real name, Chan Sung Jung) also holds extensive UFC experience.
Both men reacted to the win in a video linked to Volkanovski’s X handle. They join a list of athletes and former professionals who support Strickland’s win. Chimaev’s camp, however, is reportedly going beyond debates to seeking a rematch with Strickland. There’s no assurance about whether a rematch will happen. And till then, Strickland’s bragging rights over Chimaev remain intact.
