Story perspectives

Chimaev Loses Title to Strickland, Mulls 205-Pound Move

5/10/2026

Summary

Chimaev Loses

Khamzat Chimaev lost his UFC middleweight title defense to Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
UFC CEO Dana White said Chimaev wants to move up to 205 pounds because maintaining middleweight is difficult.
After the fight, Chimaev placed the belt on Strickland, ending their rivalry.
Featherweight Bryce Mitchell posted on X that the weigh-in scale was not fully balanced, sparking weight-cut rumors.

Summary

Chimaev Secures Payout

The UFC’s 2025 media-rights deal with Paramount+ moved premium events like UFC 328 off pay-per-view.
Khamzat Chimaev’s guaranteed purse is $1.5-$2 million, potentially reaching $2.2-$3 million with bonuses.
Sean Strickland’s guarantee is $1.1-$1.6 million, giving him an overall take-home of $1.7-$2 million.
Combined payouts could reach $3.9-$5.4 million, allocating 55-58 % to Chimaev and 42-45 % to Strickland, while the Paramount deal guarantees revenue and moves fighter pay toward fixed guarantees.

Summary

UFC328 Playlist

UFC 328 will be at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 10, 2026, 12th visit and first since UFC 316 in June 2025.
Fighter Khamzat Chimaev walks to composer Timur Mutsuraev’s “????” (“Hymn”), not the “Thé à la Menthe” track.
Fighters Sean Strickland, Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira selected Megaraptor’s “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, Chief Keef’s “I Dont Know Dem”, and John Lennon’s “Power to the People (Ultimate Mix, 2020)”.

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Chimaev Loses

Khamzat Chimaev lost his UFC middleweight title defense to Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
UFC CEO Dana White said Chimaev wants to move up to 205 pounds because maintaining middleweight is difficult.
After the fight, Chimaev placed the belt on Strickland, ending their rivalry.
Featherweight Bryce Mitchell posted on X that the weigh-in scale was not fully balanced, sparking weight-cut rumors.

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