Dustin Poirier believes Khamzat Chimaev walked into UFC 328 carrying an aura that made opponents think twice before they even laced their gloves, and he believes that aura took a significant hit in Newark on Saturday night.
Speaking on UFC on Paramount+ after the show, Poirier explained why the post-fight reconciliation between Chimaev and Strickland bothered him as much as the result itself.
Poirier’s point cuts to the specific thing that made Chimaev different as a competitor. The unbeaten record was part of it, but the relentlessness and the implied danger that he carried into every build was equally significant.
“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. With the back-and-forth, I thought it was real. I think his whole aura took a hit this week. And putting the belt on Strickland — like, come on, man. They worked us for sure.”
The split decision itself kept things competitive throughout, with all three judges scoring it two rounds apiece heading into the fifth before two of them gave Strickland the final round and the fight. Whether Chimaev receives an immediate rematch or Strickland moves on to another challenger remains to be confirmed by the UFC.