Chimaev Says Judges Robbed Him in Strickland Loss

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Khamzat Chimaev says he believes he beat Sean Strickland at UFC 328 and that the judges got the scorecards wrong. The fight went the full 25 minutes, with Strickland winning the UFC middleweight title by split decision in a close, grueling five-round battle.

Nearly six months removed from the loss, Chimaev is still voicing frustration over how the judges saw the fight. He has not let the outcome go, insisting the scorecards did not reflect what happened inside the cage.

Why Chimaev Still Thinks He Won

Split decisions by nature mean at least one judge saw the fight the other way, and Chimaev clearly believes the majority got it wrong. Close five-round fights that go to the cards almost always leave the losing side with a case to make, and Chimaev is making his loudly and repeatedly months after the final bell.

For bettors, a fighter this vocal about a disputed decision is often angling for a rematch, and judges' controversies in title fights tend to keep pressure on the UFC to run it back. Nothing about a second meeting has been announced, but if Chimaev keeps pushing the narrative that he was robbed, expect sportsbooks to eventually price a rematch with Chimaev as a live betting interest given how tight the first fight was scored.