NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – MAY 09: Sean Strickland celebrates after earning a split-decision victory over Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC middleweight title bout at UFC 328 held at Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The UFC 328 main event between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev was ultimately decided by the judges, with Strickland reclaiming the middleweight championship via a split-decision win over the previously undefeated Chimaev at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday night.
Judges Eric Colon and Sal D’Amato both scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Strickland, awarding him rounds 1, 4, and 5. Judge Sue Sanidad, however, gave the same three rounds to Chimaev.
Following the tightly contested result, Chimaev placed the championship belt around Strickland inside the Octagon. With the loss, Chimaev’s record fell to 15-1.
Strickland secured his second consecutive victory and now holds a career mark of 31-7. This marked his second major upset in a title fight, following his unanimous decision win over Israel Adesanya (49-46 on all three scorecards) at UFC 293, where he first captured the UFC middleweight championship.