Official photos have been released for the main event of UFC 328 featuring Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. Chimaev will make his first title defense in this bout, having captured the championship previously. For Strickland, this marks his fourth title fight appearance in the UFC, demonstrating his consistent presence at the top of the division. The promotional photo session is part of the standard fight week media obligations. The matchup represents a clash between Chimaev's undefeated momentum and Strickland's veteran championship experience.
Fight week is officially underway for UFC 328, with promotional photos released for the middleweight championship main event pitting champion Sean Strickland against top contender Khamzat Chimaev ahead of their meeting on May 9, 2026.
Strickland, known as "Tarzan," enters the bout as the reigning middleweight champion with a professional record of 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture, brings veteran championship experience to the cage, and this will mark his fourth title fight appearance in the UFC. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, Strickland is one of the division's most prolific volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," comes in as the number one-ranked middleweight and sits at number ten in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old Allstars Training Center product carries a 15-1-0 record into this contest, which the summary indicates will be his first title defense. Representing the United Arab Emirates, Chimaev stands six-foot-two and brings a suffocating grappling game to complement his striking, averaging 5.29 takedowns and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His striking accuracy of 60 percent is among the elite in the division.
Why it matters
- Strickland's championship is on the line against the division's most menacing unbeaten-turned-champion threat in Chimaev
- Chimaev's dominant grappling output will test Strickland's wrestling defense and ability to keep the fight standing
- A Chimaev victory would consolidate his place among the sport's elite, while a Strickland win would further cement his standing as a championship-level veteran
- The middleweight division's title picture hinges entirely on the outcome of this matchup
Saturday, May 9, 2026
