Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker admits he was caught off guard by Khamzat Chimaev’s lackluster showing against Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) lost the UFC middleweight title to Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-1 UFC) earlier this month, dropping a split decision after a surprisingly subdued performance across five rounds at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The defeat marked a sharp contrast to the dominant form Chimaev had displayed during his rise to the championship.
Prior to losing the belt, Chimaev had put together a string of standout performances, including a one-sided five-round victory over Dricus Du Plessis to capture the title in August 2025. Before that, he submitted Whittaker in the first round of their October 2024 matchup.
Appearing on Submission Radio this week, Whittaker said he struggled to understand why Chimaev looked so different against Strickland compared to the versions of the fighter he had previously seen.
“I don't know if being in there with Sean, Chimaev is seeing something vastly different than we are, you know what I mean?” Whittaker said. “Like, is there something Chimaev's seeing in there with him that is different than what we, the people watching from the outside, are seeing?”
Whittaker emphasized that the Chimaev who fought Strickland did not resemble the aggressive and overwhelming fighter who had steamrolled elite competition in previous bouts.
“Because that is not the version of Chimaev that fought me,” Whittaker continued. “That is not the version of Chimaev that fought Dricus. That is not the version of Chimaev that fought Gilbert Burns, you know what I mean?”
While Whittaker admitted he could not fully explain the performance, he suggested Strickland may possess a unique style that disrupts opponents in ways that are difficult to recognize from the outside.
“I don't know what that is, but maybe it was (the same version), but Sean just has that secret something that just makes these guys look like that, you know?” Whittaker said. “It's not the first time we've seen it happen either. I don't know.”
