Dustin Poirier thinks Khamzat Chimaev’s intimidation edge took a real hit after Sean Strickland beat him by split decision at UFC 328. Poirier’s point was not about one scorecard. It was about Strickland refusing to act scared before, during, or after the fight.
Speaking on a UFC on Paramount+ panel, Poirier said Chimaev usually benefits from making opponents react to his pressure before the fight even starts. Strickland did not give him that, and Poirier believes that matters going forward.
“I think that attributed to the problem for Khamzat anyway, because he likes to be that guy that can intimidate you,” Poirier said. “And the fact that Sean wasn’t intimidated, I think that he fought Sean’s fight moving forward in that fight.”
Watch the full UFC on Paramount+ clip below:
Dustin Poirier on Khamzat Chimaev after #UFC328:
"The next fight, whoever he gets matched up with, it's going to be tough for him to intimidate because his aura took a hit this week." pic.twitter.com/HI2S24dY0B
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) May 11, 2026
Poirier Says Chimaev’s Aura Took A Hit At UFC 328
Poirier said future opponents may look at Chimaev differently after seeing Strickland stay calm through the entire UFC 328 week.
“Well, the next fight, whoever he gets matched up with, it’s going to be tough for him to intimidate because his aura took a hit this week,” Poirier said.
Another panelist agreed and pointed to the difference between the pre-fight tension and the friendly moments once the fight was underway.
“For sure, man,” the panelist said. “Absolutely. Making this with the back and forths, I thought it was real. I think his whole aura took a hit this week.”
“Actually, every round dapping it up like we’re besties and putting the belt on him, like come on, man,” the panelist said.
The panel also noted that Chimaev said harsh things before the fight, but Strickland never seemed bothered by it.
“Because he did say some crazy things to him, you know, like super offensive things, and it didn’t seem like it bothered him at all actually,” the panelist said.
The contrast stood out because the early staredown looked serious enough to require heavy security.
“When it came down to it, for them to be so chill during the fight and after the fight, that stare down in the beginning, they had how many damn security guards and police officers in there because you’re so worried that a fight beforehand,” the panelist said. “Great aesthetics, great aesthetics. But then they tap gloves like twice and they start smiling and laughing at each other. I’m like, damn, they just worked us.”
The panelist then compared Chimaev’s usual public image with what showed up on fight night.
“What happened to that guy that was like, ‘I’ll kill everybody?’” the panelist said. “That’s not the guy we saw Saturday night.”
The conversation also moved to Chimaev’s past fights with Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, both matchups where he had to deal with real resistance instead of running through someone clean. That matters because Usman and Henry Cejudo still scored UFC 328 for Chimaev, while Poirier’s read was more about how the loss changed Chimaev’s image.
“It wasn’t the same guy either when he fought Usman,” the panelist said. “You could already see that he had signs of breaking. Same thing with Gilbert. Didn’t go his way, he had to stand up with him. Like a front-runner. You want to get him, he’s a front-runner.”
The panelist said the Usman fight especially stood out because Usman accepted the Chimaev matchup on short notice.
“I’ve always thought it’s a problem,” the panelist said. “And then the Usman fight more than anything, because I literally had seen Usman like a day or two before he accepted the fight. The man was not in tip-top shape. Literally 11 days later, he gets this fight against a guy that’s been training, getting ready for somebody else.”
“In my mind, that’s always a big, you know, like damn, I have to cut XYZ pounds, I haven’t been training, the pressure’s on me and it’s not at the same time,” the panelist said. “And the way that he fought Usman, just because Usman could wrestle back, I knew like this guy’s a front-runner.”
Chimaev has already sent Strickland a short post-loss message after UFC 328. Poirier’s point is that the next opponent may not enter the cage carrying the same fear of Chimaev’s pressure.
