When Sean Strickland shocked the world at UFC 328, dethroning Khamzat Chimaev to become the new middleweight champion, the fight itself was only half the story. What happened after the final bell may have been even more puzzling.

Leading up to the bout, the bad blood between Strickland and Chimaev was off the charts—vile insults, threats, and promises of violence. But on fight night, the tension evaporated. The two touched gloves multiple times, and when the split decision was announced, Chimaev calmly accepted the loss, even wrapping the belt around Strickland's waist. It left many wondering if the animosity was just a marketing act.

What stood out most, however, was Chimaev's eerie calm. Known for his intense, almost menacing demeanor, the now-former champion seemed unbothered by his first professional loss. That reaction didn't sit well with the crew on Deep Waters during their Monday recap show.

"You can't call it a robbery and neither guy can be mad," Din Thomas said. "But it's weird that Khamzat accepted it so easily."

Dustin Poirier took it a step further, pointing out that Chimaev's own teammate, Arman Tsarukyan, appeared more rattled by the result than the fighter himself.

"Like I said in the back, Arman was more upset that he lost the decision than Khamzat was," Poirier said. "It looked like Arman was more upset that he lost the decision than Khamzat was."

Jorge Masvidal was even more critical, arguing that Chimaev should have lost the second round 10-8. After securing a takedown in the first round but doing little with it, Chimaev looked exhausted in the second. When Strickland easily stuffed a takedown, Chimaev simply rolled onto his back and invited Strickland to take top position.

"He didn't do what he wanted to do, from the start," Masvidal said. "When he wanted to implement the wrestling, take him down and control him, and he wasn't able to do that in the first round. He red-lined himself so hard trying to do it in the first round that, in the second, he just gave up."

For a fighter who once seemed invincible, Chimaev's passive reaction to defeat has sparked more questions than answers. And as the MMA world digests this stunning title fight, one thing is clear: sometimes the story after the bell rings is just as compelling as the action inside the Octagon.