Khamzat Chimaev had never lost a fight in the UFC in 15 attempts, but was defeated by Sean Strickland, who won on points. Two of the judges gave the American the victory, while one thought Chimaev was the better fighter.
Strickland was full of admiration for Chimaev after the victory.
"That bastard wouldn't go down! I hit him with everything, but he just kept going. He was crazy," he said in the victory interview.
Khamzat Chimaev has been a feared superstar in the UFC for many years, but has now lost the middleweight world title he took over in August last year.
Chimaev started the match strongest and got his opponent down in the first round. But Strickland escaped the hold, recovered well and was stronger for the rest of the fight as they both tried to wear each other down with punches.
Khamzat Chimaev came to Sweden with his family from Chechnya and competed early in his MMA career as a Swede. For a few years he has lived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which he now represents.
