Strickland confident he'll dictate kickboxing pace against Chimaev

Sean Strickland has made clear how he expects his middleweight title defense against Khamzat Chimaev to unfold, predicting a five-round kickboxing clinic that will leave the top contender frustrated when the two meet at UFC 328 on May 9.

Strickland, 35, enters the bout as the reigning middleweight champion carrying a 31-7-0 record. The American out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He is one of the division's busiest strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and has made no secret of his intention to keep the contest on the feet and impose his rhythm across all five rounds.

Chimaev arrives as the division's number-one ranked contender and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings with a 15-1-0 record. The 30-two-year-old fighting out of Allstars Training Center stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. His wrestling is the central threat Strickland is looking to neutralize — Chimaev averages a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in the same span. His striking accuracy of 60 percent also makes him dangerous if the fight does stay standing.

Strickland expressed confidence that he will be able to do whatever he wants inside the Octagon, framing the matchup as one where controlling the pace will be the decisive factor.

Why it matters

• The middleweight title is on the line, with Chimaev making his case as the division's most dangerous challenger.
• Strickland's ability to maintain volume and distance will be tested against the most prolific takedown artist in the weight class.
• If Strickland successfully keeps it standing, Chimaev's wrestling-first identity is neutralized; if Chimaev gets it to the mat, Strickland's striking game becomes irrelevant.
• The outcome will have significant implications for the pound-for-pound rankings regardless of which fighter prevails.