Henry Cejudo believes a key striking exchange in the second round was the decisive moment that allowed Sean Strickland to turn the tide against Khamzat Chimaev and capture the middleweight title at UFC 328 last weekend in Newark.
Speaking alongside former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on their Pound4Pound podcast, Henry Cejudo broke down what he viewed as the pivotal sequence in Strickland’s victory over Khamzat Chimaev.
Chimaev appeared to be in control early after dominating the grappling exchanges in the opening round. However, momentum shifted dramatically in the second round when Sean Strickland connected with a clean right hand.
“It all came down to that second round, bro,” Cejudo said. “That second round, I think, a minute and a half into the fight, it was probably like, maybe 3:45 (left in the round), Sean Strickland catches Khamzat Chimaev with that beautiful right hand. Bro, he went jab, boom, caught him with the right.”
Cejudo also criticized the broadcast team for failing to recognize the impact of the strike in real time.
“If you notice, the commentators didn't catch that,” Cejudo continued. “I think these commentators could do a better job really describing when somebody's actually hurt. Khamzat Chimaev was on that stanky leg bro, but he did a good job being composed and not showing it.”
The former two-division UFC champion went on to argue that Chimaev’s immediate attempt to wrestle after being rocked may have worsened the situation.
“But where he made the mistake, Kamaru, is when he went for a takedown,” Cejudo said. “Once he got hurt, he started going for takedowns, but that's just not good. You almost got to keep that poker face. Stay on your feet. You would almost have to recover, bro. And I don't think Khamzat Chimaev recovered that much.”
Strickland ultimately capitalized on the momentum swing to dethrone Chimaev in the main event at Newark’s Prudential Center, reclaiming championship gold in one of the year’s biggest UFC title fights.
