UFC 328 is in the books, and we have a new middleweight champion. Sean Strickland added another epic upset to his resumé, taking a split decision over Khamzat Chimaev to reclaim the title and cement his unique legacy in the sport. So let’s talk about where we go from here, plus Jim F*cking Miller!
Are we headed for Strickland vs. Chimaev 2?
Strickland-Chimaev rematch is next right? Business was too good for it to be Imavov next or Chimaev moving up to 205.
Man, I hope not. Which means it’s probably happening.
Let’s get this out of the way: I scored the fight for Chimaev, but it was a very close fight, and I have no problem with Strickland winning. But it wasn’t so close of a fight that it demands an immediate rematch. It was close, it was competitive, and one guy one. It wasn’t a robbery, so we don’t need to re-litigate that fight. Chimaev needs to live with the loss.
And at first, it seemed like he was going to. At the post-fight presser, Dana White said Chimaev was talking about moving up to 205, and that made sense. But he’s since changed his tune, reportedly only being interested in a second crack at Strickland. And if there’s one thing the UFC has affirmed over and over again in 2026, it’s that championship fights are not based on merit; they’re based on business.
Of course, that’s not what should happen. Nassourdine Imavov is the obvious next challenger, and he even has real animosity toward Strickland. On top of that, Strickland has said he wants to do the right thing and give the guys at the top of the rankings their shot. All that should add up to Chimaev having to step back and fight someone else first, but will it?
Strickland vs. Chimaev was the biggest fight in the UFC in some time, and while some of that was based on a beef that has since been squashed (and may never have been real in the first place), most of it was based on these being two of the most popular fighters in the sport. Now, the UFC has the chance to milk that cash cow one more time.
Except, it may not. Strickland apparently left UFC 328 with a pile of injuries and may be out of action for the foreseeable future. If that’s the case, I can absolutely see a world where the UFC solves its problems by putting Chimaev and Imavov in a No. 1 contender bout, meaning Strickland’s next fight may be another date with Chimaev.
Was Sean’s admission that there was nothing to any of his “We’re enemies for life, no matter how the fight goes” and all his other bloviations leading into not just the Chimaev fight but most of his fights, going to lead to a Boy That Cried Wolf reaction sooner or later or do we just devour this BS like junk food so much that we will never tire of it?
Well, the fanbase hasn’t tired of it yet, so I don’t see why they would.
At this point, everyone knows the deal with Strickland. The man is going to do his best to sell a fight every time, and that usually involves saying stuff that polite company would not be comfortable with. I don’t even think Strickland actually believes most of the things he says; he’s just trying to get reactions. He’s basically the personification of the modern internet: why be genuinely compelling (that’s hard work) when you can get just as much attention by simply saying inflammatory things?
This isn’t new. Combat sports have done this forever. And so, given that, I have to assume that it will keep on working, because it hasn’t stopped working for hundreds of years.
How realistic are Chimaev’s chances for success going to be at 205? He looked smaller compared to Strickland, and these 205ers are going to be even bigger than Sean. And would Paulo Costa be the ideal first opponent for Chimaev at 205?
Quite poor. Which is not the answer I’d have given a few weeks ago.
First off, we should acknowledge that light heavyweight is a really bad division. So, if Chimaev does decide to move up, it’s not like he’d be a lost ball in the high weeds. Plenty of 205ers would simply have no answer for his Plan A. But while a week ago I would have thought Chimaev’s grappling would be a problem for anyone in the weight class, now it seems clear that’s not the case.
I’m not going to say Strickland figured Chimaev out, but UFC 328 revealed a truth that has been hinted at with Chimaev for years: he doesn’t have much of a Plan B. If you can minimize Chimaev’s takedowns and control, “Borz” is quickly going to pivot toward a fight where he has some tools, but not a lot. And Chimaev wasn’t especially big against Strickland, so moving to 205 is probably a bridge too far.
As for Costa, that is 100 percent the fight to make. If Chimaev does move up, book him vs. Costa in a five-round main event and let’s finally settle their beef. And screw it, winner gets a title shot.
Strickland title defenses?
How many times does Strickland defend the title? Or will du Plessis or Imavov take it off him?
I think at best one or two. Strickland is one of the great overachievers in MMA history, but like Forrest Griffin and those before him, winning the belt is the accomplishment; long title reigns are not usually part of the deal.
If Strickland’s first defense is against Imavov, he’ll be favored in that bout, but not by a lot. Strickland won their first encounter, but Imavov has improved dramatically since then, so that’s a close fight. And if it’s Chimaev, well, he barely beat him this time; a rematch is probably similarly competitive, meaning that’s a coin flip.
And even if he gets past both of those men, Dricus du Plessis is right there, and he has two wins over Strickland, including a pretty big whooping in their second fight. I just don’t see how Strickland puts together an extended title reign.
Jim Miller is a Hall of Famer
Is Jim Miller a HOF’er? Elite accomplishments obviously get someone in, but should longevity accomplishments, albeit at a lower level, do so as well? Donald Cerrone got in and had several longevity accomplishments. But in my opinon, a lot of his induction was influenced by his Cowboy persona.
This isn’t even a question: Jim Miller should obviously be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And not on some Fight technicality; if a guy like Jim Miller doesn’t merit the Hall of Fame, then the whole thing is a sham to begin with.
The point of any Hall of Fame is to celebrate the history of whatever endeavor it pertains to. That, of course, means honoring the greatest to perform in the arena. And while “greatness” is most often measured by championships and awards (the latter of which Miller has many), longevity and sustained success are also accomplishments, and very much worthy of honoring.
Jim Miller currently holds the UFC records for Most Fights, Most Wins, and Most Submission Attempts. He’s also near the top in a half-dozen other categories, not including the myriad divisional records he holds at lightweight. The man will almost certainly get to 50 UFC fights, and he’s already 5 fights clear of the runner-up (Andrei Arlovski’s 42 at heavyweight is truly INSANE). Miller’s record will probably never be broken, and his Wins record also could stand the test of time.
He’s essentially the Frank Gore of MMA, and while Gore may not make the NFL Hall of Fame (kinda dumb), that is a sport with a much longer lineage and many more people deserving of consideration. There are a half-dozen people currently enshrined in the Hall of Fame who are less deserving than Miller, and if we consider only UFC careers, that list grows by a lot.
On top of all that, Miller is also widely respected. Seriously, who has something bad to say about Jim Miller? And while that’s not enough to get you in on its own, you add that to the numerous other things Miller has going for him, and it starts to get hard to find a reason to keep him out.
Simply put, if your Hall of Fame won’t induct a guy like Jim Miller, then your Hall of Fame sucks, you suck, and I hate you. Jim f*cking Miller, all day.
Thanks for reading, and thank you to everyone who sent in Tweets! Do you have any burning questions about things at least somewhat related to combat sports? Then you’re in luck, because you can send your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I will answer my favorite ones! Doesn’t matter if they’re topical or insane, just so long as they are good. Thanks again, and see y’all next week.
