Chimaev defends MW title vs Strickland at UFC 328

UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will put his title on the line for the first time against former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 328, scheduled for May 9, 2026, at a venue in Newark, New Jersey, with the card broadcasting on Paramount+.

Chimaev, known as "Borz," holds a 15-1-0 professional record and is ranked tenth pound-for-pound in the UFC. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates and training out of Allstars Training Center stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. He is an aggressive grappler, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and his 60 percent striking accuracy makes him one of the more efficient finishers in the division.

Strickland, nicknamed "Tarzan," enters the rematch at 35 years old carrying a 31-7-0 record. The American orthodox striker out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is one of the highest-volume punchers in the middleweight division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. He brings championship experience to the cage, and the two men are said to share a heated personal rivalry, with both publicly claiming to have had the better of the other during training sessions.

Why it matters

• Chimaev makes his first middleweight title defense, a significant early test of his championship reign
• Strickland holds prior championship experience at 185 pounds and a personal history with the champion that adds extra weight to the matchup
• The contrasting styles — Chimaev's high-volume wrestling and submission threat versus Strickland's elite striking output and championship-level durability — set up a compelling tactical battle
• A Strickland victory would make him a two-time middleweight champion; a Chimaev win would cement his status as a dominant force in the division