Chimaev’s first career loss nudges him toward a light-heavyweight run

Khamzat Chimaev suffered his first pro loss, a razor-thin split decision to Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event in Newark. His immediate responses were measured—Instagram captioned “Alhamdulilah” and a Twitter message to Strickland saying “see you soon again”—as Dana White revealed Chimaev plans to move up to Light Heavyweight, opening the door to potential big fights (including a Costa matchup) while noting Chimaev’s Middleweight run remains historic and influential.