The boss saw it as razor close.
Sean Strickland became a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion by defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision in the UFC 328 main event tonight (Sat., May 9, 2026) inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The fight was extremely competitive from start to finish, with media scorecards split almost directly down the middle on who deserved the nod (check out the scorecards here)
UFC CEO Dana White agreed it all came down to the fifth
round.
“How I scored the main event was I had it 2-2 going into the last round — and I thought Strickland won the last round,” White told reporters during the UFC 328 post-fight press conference (watch here). “Sean has looked great. He has an awkward style, tough to fight. He’s a tough, durable guy that has no quit in him.”
White also touched on Chimaev’s approach during the fight, admitting he was intrigued to finally see the undefeated Chechen spend extended time striking.
“What was interesting was that the first two times I saw him fight on Fight Island, he used to talk about his stand-up and his team all the time,” White said. “So, I was saying we haven’t seen his stand-up and really go toe-to-toe with someone in a while. But I think he had a rough weight cut.”
As for what’s next, White avoided giving a direct answer regarding Strickland’s first title defense. However, later in the press conference, he hinted that UFC Paris could potentially land a championship fight due to how hot the French market currently is for the promotion.
That naturally raises the question:
Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov 2? Or rematch?
