Fresh off UFC 328, where Sean Strickland shocked Khamzat Chimaev by split decision to reclaim the middleweight title, Jorge Masvidal made it clear he thinks the new two-time champ deserves far more respect. Speaking after the event, Masvidal argued Strickland’s body of work already stacks up with some of the sport’s most accomplished names.
That opinion lands at a time when Strickland’s standing in the division has never been stronger. A second run with the belt changes the conversation around him from unlikely champion to legitimate era-defining figure at 185 pounds. If he keeps winning, the middleweight title picture suddenly runs through a veteran many fans once viewed as a gatekeeper rather than a long-term kingpin.
Masvidal pointed to the full arc of Strickland’s career, not just the Chimaev fight. In his view, Strickland had already built a Hall of Fame case through his title reign, standout performances, and willingness to fight dangerous contenders. He also highlighted Strickland’s move up from welterweight, where the weight cut was a major issue, and said that once he settled in at middleweight, he separated himself by finishing quality opponents and beating prospects and top-level names few expected him to handle.
Masvidal also brought up Strickland’s upset of Israel Adesanya, a result that still shapes how many American fans see him. At the time, Adesanya was widely considered a nightmare matchup, especially after his knockout win over Alex Pereira in Miami. Strickland wasn’t supposed to win that fight either, which is exactly why this latest result over Chimaev strengthens the idea that doubters keep misreading him.
For Strickland, the stakes now are bigger than proving he belongs. He has to show this second title run won’t be brief, while the rest of the division waits to see whether Chimaev gets a rematch or another contender jumps the line. Either way, Strickland has turned himself into one of the sport’s hardest men to dismiss, and his next defense will say a lot about whether this reign becomes historic.