Poirier, Masvidal Say Chimaev Lost Aura After 1st UFC Defeat at UFC 328
Updated
Updated · MMA Fighting · May 12
Poirier, Masvidal Say Chimaev Lost Aura After 1st UFC Defeat at UFC 328
11 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · May 12
Saturday’s split-decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 — Chimaev’s first MMA defeat — stripped away the intimidation factor that had surrounded him, Poirier said.
Poirier argued that aura matters in matchmaking: Chimaev’s next opponent is less likely to be rattled now that the unbeaten mystique is gone.
Masvidal went further, saying the loss confirmed flaws he saw in Chimaev’s tougher fights with Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, where he struggled once he could not dominate early.
That view casts Strickland’s title win as more than an upset, raising broader questions about whether Chimaev can beat elite opponents who survive his initial wrestling-heavy pressure.
Was Chimaev's loss due to a brutal weight cut, or have fighters finally exposed a blueprint to beat him?
With his ties to a sanctioned dictator under fire, can Chimaev's UFC career survive the growing political pressure?