Khamzat Chimaev is no longer staying quiet about his first loss inside the Octagon, and he’s pointing toward more than just the action inside the cage as the reason behind it.
The former middleweight champion suffered a narrow split decision defeat to Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark, a result that saw Strickland reclaim the 185-pound title. While the fight was widely viewed as competitive, the scorecards immediately sparked debate among fans, media, and fighters alike.
Now, weeks removed from the bout, Chimaev has voiced his own concerns — and they go beyond simple judging criteria.
In a now-deleted post on X, later shared via Championship Rounds, Chimaev suggested that nationality may have played a role in how the fight was scored.
“All judges are American, the organization is American, the opponent is American, and one is Chechen,” he wrote. “It’s a close fight. Who do you think will win?”
Despite the implication, “Borz” was quick to shut down the idea that he was making excuses for the loss. In a follow-up message on X, he made his intentions clear.
“No excuses I just wanna f— him up, this s— trying to run away,” he added.
“Borz” has also continued to push for a rematch with Strickland, doubling down on his desire to run things back after what many viewed as a razor-close contest. Even among media members, scoring was split, with a notable portion favoring the 32-year-old Chechen’s performance on the night.
The loss marked the first blemish on Chimaev’s previously perfect professional record and ended his reign as middleweight champion.