Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Sean Strickland for Rematch After UFC 328

In a thrilling middleweight championship bout at UFC 328, champion Khamzat Chimaev was shockingly upset by challenger Sean Strickland via split decision.

Strickland earned unanimous scorecard rounds in Round 2 and Round 3 across all judges, setting up a tightly contested fight heading into the fifth round. In the final frame, Strickland did enough to secure victory on two of the three judges' cards after outstriking Chimaev late and finishing with more total and significant strikes.

Chimaev found success on the ground, recording nine takedowns and roughly seven minutes of control time, but struggled to inflict consistent damage despite those positions.

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There has also been controversy surrounding Chimaev's ability to make the 185-pound limit, with Strickland openly questioning whether he even hit weight both before and after the fight.

Despite UFC President Dana White indicating Chimaev may move up to 205 pounds, a more natural division for him, the former champion is already pushing for a rematch.

After initially posting "see you soon," Chimaev followed up the next night by tagging Strickland and writing, "Let me know when you are ready."

Chimaev may be fooling himself with a rematch push, as another fight at middleweight would likely require a difficult weight cut - something that has challenged him throughout his career.

Meanwhile, Strickland has suggested that the next title challenger could be Nassourdine Imavov, which would potentially delay Chimaev's path back to a championship opportunity even further depending on how the division unfolds.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:20 AM.