Khamzat Chimaev believes his nationality may have influenced the result of his first UFC title defense.
Earlier this month, Chimaev defended his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event, starting strong with early grappling control. As the fight progressed, he struggled to sustain that pace, with Strickland’s jab and pressure disrupting his rhythm and limiting his takedown attempts.
“Borz” still had key moments and kept the contest close, but from his perspective, the decision could have gone either way. In the end, two judges scored it 48-47 for Strickland, while one had it 48-47 for Chimaev, resulting in a narrow split-decision loss.
When the result was announced, Chimaev appeared to accept it, even going as far as wrapping the belt around Strickland’s waist. However, more than two weeks later, the Chechen star no longer seems at peace with the outcome and is now raising concerns over the decision.
Khamzat Chimaev Alleges Judges Showed Bias In Loss At UFC 328
Khamzat Chimaev recently took to X, sharing a post he later deleted, venting out his frustration over the UFC 328 outcome, alleging the result was influenced by American bias and claiming the judges leaned against him.
“All judges are American, the organization is American, and no one is Chechen,” Chimaev wrote. “It’s a close fight. Who do you think will win?”
Moments later, “Borz” returned with another post, stating he wasn’t offering any justifications and made it clear he’s pushing for a rematch against Sean Strickland.
“No excuses, I just wanna f*ck him up this sh*t trying to run away.”
I’m waiting. Tell me when you’re ready, Sean Strickland. Next time, somebody has to be dead,” Chimaev added.”
Khamzat Chimaev tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career at UFC 328, bringing his record to 15-1. Before that setback, “Borz” had put together an unbeaten 9-0 run in the UFC, highlighted by victories over top fighters like Robert Whittaker, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman.
He claimed the middleweight title at UFC 319 in August 2025 with a lopsided unanimous decision win over former champion Dricus Du Plessis.
