Khamzat Chimaev sent his first public post-loss message to Sean Strickland after losing the UFC middleweight title by split decision at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland, while one judge had it 48-47 for Chimaev, making Strickland a two-time UFC middleweight champion and handing Chimaev the first loss of his professional MMA career.
Chimaev posted directly at Strickland on X following their main event in Newark, writing:
“@SStricklandMMA see you soon again”
@SStricklandMMA see you soon again 🫡
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) May 10, 2026
The records now stand at 31-7 for Strickland and 15-1 for Chimaev. The full UFC 328 result showed how close the title fight was on the cards. Joe Rogan also questioned whether Chimaev bulking toward a possible Jiri Prochazka fight at 205 pounds affected the title-fight equation, saying it “could have been a factor” because Chimaev had tried to add size before returning to middleweight.
Chimaev’s Message Leaves Two Possible Paths
Chimaev’s post points toward a possible rematch, but his next move is not clear. Dana White said after UFC 328 that Chimaev told him he did not want to keep fighting at middleweight.
White said Chimaev told him:
“I don’t want to fight at this weight again, I want to move up.”
If Chimaev leaves 185 pounds, an immediate Strickland rematch becomes harder to line up. If he stays, the argument is there because the first fight was close on the cards.
Chimaev also helped put the belt around Strickland after the decision, which stood out after a heated build-up. The post-fight respect did not erase the competitive stakes, but it did make the message feel more direct than hostile.
Strickland now begins his second middleweight title reign with several options around him. Chimaev can push for another shot, but he also has the light heavyweight question hanging over his next move.
