Khamzat Chimaev had Arman Tsarukyan in his corner at UFC 328, and Tsarukyan is standing by him after a disappointing loss.
In Saturday’s main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Sean Strickland won the UFC middleweight title for a second time after earning a split decision win over Chimaev in a back-and-forth five-round battle. Afterwards, Strickland and Chimaev appeared to squash their beef following a volatile pre-fight build, but Tsarkyan sounds like he isn’t satisfied with how the scorecards
played out.
“We fought our hearts out tonight and everyone watching knows what really happened,” Tsarukyan wrote on Instagram. “Head up Champ. You will get your belt back soon.”
Though he didn’t state it specifically, Tsarukyan appears to be criticizing the judging, which saw Eric Colon and Sal D’Amato score the fight 48-47 in Strickland’s favor, giving him Rounds 2, 3, and 5. Judge Sue Sanidad had it 48-47 for Chimaev, giving him Rounds 1, 4, and 5.
Tsarukyan worked closely with Chimaev in the lead-up to his first title defense, so it’s not surprising he is siding with the now-former champion, who now looks to rebound following the first loss of his career. Chimaev won the belt with a lopsided decision win over Dricus du Plessis—who has beaten Strickland in a pair of title fights—at UFC 319 this past August, but struggled to maintain any consistent offense against the resilient Strickland.
Now, it appears Chimaev is set to move up to light heavyweight, though he also teased the possibility of a rematch with Strickland following Saturday’s defeat.
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