Strickland defeated Chimaev in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
Chael Sonnen did not hide his frustration with the stance adopted by Khamzat Shimaev e Sean Strickland after the main fight of UFC 328, held last Saturday (9), in New Jersey (USA). The former Ultimate belt challenger said he expected a much more hostile atmosphere between rivals and admitted to being disappointed with the exchange of respect inside the octagon.
In a video released by the 'UFC on Paramount+' profile on X, formerly Twitter, Sonnen commented that the excessive cordiality between the two ended up "cooling down" the rivalry built up throughout the week of promotion for the card. According to him, even the constant glove touches during the fight bothered him.
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"What bothered me was that they kept touching gloves the whole time. I think that was a psychological game. Maybe it wasn't exactly planned, but it seemed like an attempt to get the opponent riled up."
"But when the two of them start doing that, suddenly you're touching gloves six, seven times... and it ends up burying the war narrative. And I didn't turn on the TV to see that," Sonnen stated.
“It bothered me that they kept touching gloves.”@chaelsonnen was a little disappointed how the “rivalry” played out between Chimaev and Strickland during #UFC328 pic.twitter.com/gtb8AFWw9d
— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) May 10, 2026
Later, in conversation with his broadcast partner, the American recalled the moment when Chimaev tried to defuse the tension just seconds before the fight began. According to the former fighter, that action completely changed the tone of the rivalry.
"I saw that too. Glad you mentioned it. You're talking about that moment before the fight started, when Chimaev came on top, said something, made a friendly face and said something like: 'Hey, buddy... let's have a good fight'."
And Sean accepted that. I felt exactly the same way. From then on, the rivalry began to cool down. If they wanted to make peace, good for them. Sometimes that's what sports are about: you fight someone, you earn respect for the guy. But, as a fan, I was a little disappointed and confused.
"I spent the whole week buying into this rivalry, believing in how much they hated each other, and then, at the last minute, they try to make peace? I was frustrated," said Sonnen.
Current moment of Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland in the UFC
Chimaev and Strickland face off in a tense confrontation at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
The defeat marked the first setback in his professional career. Khamzat Shimaev in MMA. Before the UFC 328The Russian had amassed a streak of 15 consecutive victories and was coming off dominant wins on his way to the middleweight title.
On the other side, Sean Strickland He returned to the top of the division after winning a very close fight. The American prevailed by split decision and now has a record of 31 wins and seven losses in his professional MMA career.
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Read More about: Chael Sonnen, Khamzat Shimaev, Sean Strickland, UFC 328
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