Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight title after defeating Khamzat Chimaev by split decision in the main event of UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
The bout ended with judges scoring it 48-47, 47-48 and 48-47 in favour of Strickland, handing Chimaev the first defeat of his professional MMA career.
Chimaev started strongly and dominated the opening round with his grappling and takedown pressure, controlling Strickland on the ground and threatening with submission attempts.
However, Strickland gradually recovered and began to dictate the pace with his jab, movement and improved takedown defence as the fight progressed.
The fight had attracted major attention due to the heated rivalry between both fighters during the build-up.
Security was reportedly tightened during fight week after several tense confrontations and controversial comments exchanged between the pair before the event.
Despite suffering an apparent shoulder injury during fight week, Strickland showed resilience across all five rounds and managed to edge the close contest.
After the victory, he apologised for some of the inflammatory remarks made before the bout and celebrated becoming a two-time UFC middleweight champion.
The result reshapes the UFC middleweight division, with Strickland returning to the top of the rankings while Chimaev suffers his first setback in the sport.
UFC 328 also featured other notable victories, including flyweight champion Joshua Van defending his title and heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov earning a decision win on the same card.
