Arman Tsarukyan was in Khamzat Chimaev’s corner at UFC 328 and he is standing firmly by his teammate after Saturday’s split decision loss to Sean Strickland, posting a message on Instagram that appeared to question the judging.
“We fought our hearts out tonight and everyone watching knows what really happened. Head up Champ. You will get your belt back soon.”
Tsarukyan did not reference the scorecards directly, but the implication was clear. Two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Strickland, awarding him rounds two, three, and five, while the third judge had it 48-47 for Chimaev, giving him rounds one, four, and five. The split nature of the decision and the closeness of each round left room for legitimate disagreement about the outcome.
Tsarukyan worked closely with Chimaev during his training camp for the title defense, making his emotional investment in the result understandable. Chimaev’s performance raised questions about the toll of his weight cut, with reports suggesting he had been bulking up in anticipation of a potential light heavyweight move before being called to defend the middleweight title against Strickland.
Dana White confirmed after the fight that Chimaev approached him to say he wants to move to 205 pounds, though Chimaev has since posted cryptic messages on social media hinting at a Strickland rematch.