Sean Strickland won the Ultimate Fighting Championship's 185-pound championship for the second time in his career, defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision in a bout that never escalated to the level of vitriol and threats outside the cage. Strickland took two scorecards 48-47, while Chimaev earned the third 48-47 in front of 17,783 fans at the Prudential Center on Saturday.
Strickland, the second former middleweight to regain the title, mimed putting the belt around his waist after the fifth round. Chimaev later helped him put it on inside the cage. The fight was preceded by one of the most loathsome displays of trash talk in recent UFC history, with Strickland threatening to shoot Chimaev and labeling him a “terrorist” due to ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Chimaev, fighting under the UAE banner, countered by saying he would “take off” Strickland's head.
The 35-year-old Strickland, who won the belt in September 2023 and lost it in his first defense, apologized after the fight to fans of all ethnicities, acknowledging he “went too hard” in weaponizing stereotypes to sell the bout. UFC beefed up security at hotels, public events, and around the cage following the hostile buildup.
UFC held its last major card before a June 14 show at the White House hosted by US President Donald Trump. The event, dubbed a “1 of 1 event” by UFC CEO Dana White, is timed for Trump's 80th birthday and the nation's 250th anniversary. Trump did not attend the New Jersey event.
In the co-main event, Joshua Van mauled Tatsuro Taira into a bloody mess, defending his 125-pound title in the first UFC title fight between two Asian fighters. Van dominated with superior boxing, winning via stoppage at 1:32 of round five. Van (17-2) seized control in the second round with a violent right hand for a knockdown and repeatedly battered Taira (18-2). Van has won seven straight fights and 10 of 11 since signing with UFC.
Taira failed in his attempt to become the first Japanese fighter to win a UFC championship. The 24-year-old Van, of Myanmar, marked the first time both competitors in a UFC title fight were born in the 2000s.
Other main card results: Sean Brady defeated Joaquin Buckley via unanimous decision; King Green choked out Jeremy Stephens; Alexander Volkov defeated Waldo Cortes-Acosta via unanimous decision. On the undercard, 42-year-old Jim Miller submitted Jared Gordon with a rear-naked choke at 3:29 of the first round, extending his record for UFC wins (28) in 47 fights. Miller's 14-year-old son Wyatt recently beat a rare childhood cancer, keeping Miller out of the cage for 13 months.
Source: www.aljazeera.com