Thompson backs Chimaev to beat Strickland in rematch after shock UFC 328 defeat

Stephen Thompson is backing Khamzat Chimaev to defeat Sean Strickland in a potential rematch, arguing the middleweight champion was well below his peak when Strickland handed him his first professional loss via split decision at UFC 328 earlier this month.

Chimaev, now 15-1, put his middleweight title on the line against Strickland in what proved to be a major upset. Thompson, speaking to Full Mount MMA, pointed to what he sees as a change in Chimaev’s preparation as a key factor in the performance.

“I remember when Khamzat was preparing for Du Plessis,” Thompson said. “I think he did a lot of training in [near Dagestan]. I don’t think he did a whole a lot for this one. Which surprised me.”

Thompson was referring to Chimaev’s title-winning performance against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 last year, for which Chimaev trained in Kislovodsk — a small village in the Northern Caucasus mountains that served as a training centre for Soviet Olympians ahead of the 1980 Moscow Games and remains a hub for elite athletes across multiple sports. Chimaev dominated Du Plessis across five rounds to earn a decisive victory.

The former welterweight contender, known as “Wonderboy”, said Chimaev showed visible signs of fatigue against Strickland and lacked his usual aggression — qualities that have made him look near-unbeatable at other points in his career.

“Do I think that was the best Chimaev that we’ve seen? No, I don’t think so,” Thompson said. “He looked a little fatigued, a little tired. He wasn’t as aggressive as you normally see him.”

Thompson acknowledged that Chimaev has occasionally produced performances that make him look mortal against certain opponents, but maintained that the Strickland loss does not reflect his true ceiling.

“Not saying he didn’t take the last one seriously,” Thompson added. “But it’s like a swing or a miss sometimes when you watch Chimaev fight. He looks immortal a lot when he faces up against some guys but then there is that one guy who just makes him look mortal… I think Chimaev [wins the rematch] for sure.”

No rematch between Chimaev and Strickland has been officially announced.