Former UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev has explained why he shook hands with Sean Strickland and placed the championship belt around his opponent after their title fight ended.
“People asked why I shook his hand and why I put the belt on him after the fight. We don’t usually talk or throw punches after a fight. If we fight, we fight inside the cage. And we gave it everything… That guy bowed his head and apologized. If someone asks for forgiveness, I can forgive. I’m not the kind of person to refuse forgiveness,” Chimaev wrote on his social media.
Chimaev and Strickland squared off at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, with Strickland winning by split decision. The victory crowned Strickland as the new UFC middleweight champion, while Chimaev surrendered his title. The fight was a hard-fought battle that earned respect from both camps, leading to Chimaev’s unexpected gesture after the loss.