Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has hinted on social media that he is traveling to Newark for UFC 328 this weekend. The numbered event will feature a middleweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. Du Plessis's presence at the event has sparked speculation about potential confrontations or face-offs. UFC 328 is scheduled to take place in Newark in the coming days. The champion's attendance suggests he may be scouting his next potential opponent.
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has signaled on social media that he will be in Newark this weekend for UFC 328, where the top two contenders in his division are set to collide when Khamzat Chimaev meets Sean Strickland on May 9.
Du Plessis, 32, carries a 23-3-0 record and holds the middleweight title while sitting seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings. The South African, who trains out of Team CIT, is a relentless finisher who lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and mixes in 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. His presence cageside strongly suggests he is evaluating which of the two middleweights will become his next mandatory challenger.
Strickland enters the bout listed as champion in the verified data, carrying a 31-7-0 record at 35 years old. The Xtreme Couture product is one of the sport's highest-volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his 42 percent accuracy reflects a relentless output-over-precision style. The American stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach.
Chimaev, ranked first in the division at 32, brings a 15-1-0 record and represents a markedly different profile. The UAE-based Swede leads the division in wrestling pressure, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, and his 60 percent striking accuracy makes him one of the most precise fighters on the roster. He stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach.
Why it matters
- The winner of Chimaev vs. Strickland becomes the immediate frontrunner to face Du Plessis for the middleweight title.
- Du Plessis, ranked second in the division behind Chimaev, has a personal stake in scouting both men.
- The stylistic contrast between Chimaev's wrestling-heavy, precise attack and Strickland's high-volume striking gives the champion two very different puzzle-solving scenarios to consider.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
