Chimaev Defends Belt vs Strickland at UFC 328

Sean Strickland puts his middleweight title on the line against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328, scheduled for May 9 in Newark, New Jersey, the promotion announced.

Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record into the fight and has held the middleweight championship heading into this matchup. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the American known as "Tarzan" stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and brings one of the busiest outputs in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. His wrestling defense has long been a calling card, making him a difficult fighter to control on the mat.

Chimaev enters as the No. 1 ranked middleweight and sits at No. 10 on the pound-for-pound list, carrying a 15-1-0 record. The 32-year-old, representing the United Arab Emirates and training out of Allstars Training Center, stands six-foot-two and has built his reputation on suffocating grappling pressure. He averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and posts 1.8 submission attempts in the same span, all while landing strikes at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy rate. Known as "Borz," Chimaev has looked nearly unstoppable since his lone career defeat.

Why it matters

• The middleweight title is on the line, and the winner will have a strong claim as the division's top figure heading into the latter half of 2026.
• Chimaev's elite takedown volume and grappling pressure collide directly with Strickland's disciplined boxing and historically difficult-to-move frame.
• A Chimaev win would elevate his pound-for-pound standing; a Strickland victory would further cement his credentials as a champion capable of handling the division's most dangerous contenders.
• The bout anchors what UFC has framed as a significant numbered event on a packed 2026 schedule.