UFC CEO Dana White revealed multiple main events on April 23, 2026, finalizing the schedule through mid-June, including Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark. Other bookings: Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg for vacant light heavyweight title on April 11; Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo on May 30 in Macau; Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim on June 6. These announcements solidify the promotion's calendar, shaping title pictures across divisions like middleweight and bantamweight. Expect heightened anticipation for Chimaev-Strickland as a superfight; further co-main events like Kyler Phillips vs. Charles Jourdain were also set.[2]
UFC CEO Dana White used a wide-ranging announcement on April 23, 2026, to lock in several major fights across the promotion's schedule through mid-June, headlined by a middleweight title bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark.
Strickland, 35, enters the fight as the reigning middleweight champion, carrying a record of 31-7-0. The American out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the most relentless volume strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. He will defend gold against Chimaev in what White described as a marquee main event.
Also announced, Jiri Prochazka will fight Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight title on April 11. Prochazka, the 33-year-old Czech standout ranked second in the division, holds a 32-6-1 record and fights out of six-foot-three, 191 cm frame with an extraordinary 80-inch reach. He averages 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, making him one of the more dangerous offensive threats in the weight class.
The May 30 card in Macau will feature Song Yadong against Deiveson Figueiredo, while June 6 brings Belal Muhammad against Gabriel Bonfim. Bonfim, nicknamed Marretinha, is 28 years old, ranked tenth at welterweight, and carries a 19-1-0 record. The Brazilian is a multi-dimensional threat, averaging 3.6 takedowns and 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside 4.61 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Chimaev vs. Strickland places the middleweight title at the center of UFC 328, elevating the Newark card to must-see status.
- Prochazka vs. Ulberg will crown a new light heavyweight champion, reshaping the top of that division.
- Bonfim's booking against a former champion in Muhammad represents a significant step-up test for the tenth-ranked welterweight contender.
- The Macau card signals continued UFC investment in the Asian market heading into summer 2026.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
