UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev has spoken out following his loss to Sean Strickland in their middleweight title bout, questioning the judging after surrendering his championship belt earlier this month.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Chimaev reacted emotionally on social media after suffering a split-decision defeat to the American on 10 May. The Emirati-based fighter suggested that the circumstances surrounding the fight worked against him.
“All the judges are American, the organisation is American, the opponent is American. And against them there is one Chechen. A close fight happens. Who do you think wins?” Chimaev wrote.
Despite his criticism, the 31-year-old insisted he was not making excuses and made it clear he wants another fight against Strickland.
“No excuses. I want to beat the hell out of him. And he’s trying to run away,” he added.
The fight was one of the most talked-about UFC title clashes of the year, with many fans and analysts divided over the final verdict. Strickland regained the middleweight title after a tense five-round contest, while Chimaev suffered the first defeat of his professional MMA career.
Chimaev now holds a record of 15 wins and one loss from 16 professional fights and is widely expected to remain among the leading contenders in the UFC middleweight division.
