3d Brett Okamoto and Andreas Hale

Sean Strickland reigns in the middleweight division for a second time after beating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Brett Okamoto May 12, 2026, 08:00 AM ET

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Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

Sean Strickland earned a second reign as middleweight champion on Saturday with a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.…