UFC Veteran Rates Khamzat Chimaev Higher Than Sean Strickland, But Warns History Could Repeat Itself

Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev (Phot byImagn Images)

UFC Veteran Rates Khamzat Chimaev Higher Than Sean Strickland, But Warns History Could Repeat Itself

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated May 13, 2026 12:40 PM ET

Sean Strickland became the middleweight champion and defeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. On paper, Chimaev was the better fighter, as he had superior wrestling abilities, and Strickland was the underdog. But “Tarzan” pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time. Talking about this, UFC veteran Georges St-Pierre also weighed in on his thoughts.

St-Pierre believed the Chechen fighter was the more talented and complete fighter overall. After watching his dominant run in the past, fans and many MMA stars believed Strickland would not beat Chimaev. But now GSP said the new middleweight champion could defeat “Borz” again. In a recent interview with Mike Bohn, St-Pierre said:

“I believe Khamzat is a better fighter than Sean Strickland, but that night Sean beat him and Sean can do it again next time.”

Georges St-Pierre believes Khamzat Chimaev is better overall, though Sean Strickland can still beat him again

“I believe Khamzat is a better fighter than Sean Strickland, but that night Sean beat him and he can do it again.”

(via: @MikeBohn ) pic.twitter.com/aRiuPCRUTu
— FREAK.MMA (@FREAKMMA1) May 13, 2026

Chimaev’s team revealed that it was the brutal weight cut that made ‘Borz’ weak, and that’s why he couldn’t perform well. However, the former middleweight champion was seen struggling at the weigh-ins, which immediately raised concerns.

Khamzat Chimaev’s Brother Talked About Brutal 46-Pound Weight Cut

Chimaev’s brother, Artur Chimaev, revealed that ‘Borz’ went through a dangerous weight cut before his title fight with Sean Strickland. He said the whole team had been preparing for Jiri Prochazka, but later accepted the Strickland fight, and they had to do a brutal weight cut. In a recent talk with Sportsru, he said:

“There was a problem with the weight cut. The question became whether to cancel the fight or take the risk. When there was 1.2 kg left, his body shut down… Oxygen deprivation. His body malfunctioned. We had to stop for an hour because his health wouldn’t allow him to continue.”

Khamzat Chimaev. Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

The Chechen fighter was only able to regain around 11 to 13 pounds before the fight, meaning he entered the octagon far from fully recovered. Dana White indicated that Chimaev was likely to move up to the light heavyweight division. But fans had to wait for official confirmation.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: