Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre believes Khamzat Chimaev remains the superior fighter despite losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) suffered the first defeat of his professional career in Saturday’s main event, dropping a decision to Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) in a result that stunned much of the MMA world. Entering the fight, Chimaev had been installed as a sizable betting favorite, with many fans and analysts expecting the undefeated Chechen to successfully defend his title.
Instead, Strickland delivered one of the biggest upsets of the year, using his trademark pressure and volume striking to hand Chimaev his first loss inside the Octagon.
Speaking with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn this week, St-Pierre explained why he does not necessarily believe the outcome means Strickland is the better overall fighter.
“There's some people that think that the best fighter always wins, but that's not true,” St-Pierre said. “And even though you're the best fighter, you need to fight the best (on) the night of the fight and you need to prepare yourself the best.”
The UFC Hall of Famer pointed to the many variables that can influence the outcome of a fight, arguing that a single result does not always settle debates about who the more skilled competitor is.
“There's so many variables that influence a result,” St-Pierre said. “I believe that Khamzat is a better fighter than Sean Strickland, but that night, Sean beat him. And Sean can do it again next time. You know what I mean? That's the thing.”
The victory marked another major moment in Strickland’s career resurgence, while Chimaev now faces the challenge of bouncing back from the first setback of his previously unbeaten run.
