UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has hinted on social media that he is traveling to Newark for UFC 328 this weekend. The South African titleholder will be in attendance for the main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. Du Plessis is expected to face the winner of this pivotal middleweight bout. His presence at the event suggests he is scouting his next potential challenger. The post anticipates "unexpected encounters" during fight week.
UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis has signaled he will be in Newark this weekend for UFC 328, hinting on social media that he plans to watch Khamzat Chimaev take on Sean Strickland in person. The 32-year-old South African, who carries a 23-3-0 record and sits at number two in the middleweight rankings, is widely expected to face the winner of Saturday's main event.
Du Plessis, who also holds the number seven spot in the pound-for-pound rankings, trains out of Team CIT and fights out of a switch stance. The six-foot-one titleholder owns a 76-inch reach and lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, while also averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes — a well-rounded profile that makes him a threat across all phases.
Standing across the cage from whoever emerges from Saturday's co-main will be no small task. Strickland, the reigning champion at 31-7-0, is a relentless volume striker who outputs 6.04 significant strikes per minute. The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture shares Du Plessis's six-foot-one frame and 76-inch reach, and has compiled his record from an orthodox stance.
Chimaev enters at 15-1-0 and is ranked number one in the division, sitting just outside the pound-for-pound top ten at number ten. The 32-year-old, who competes out of Allstars Training Center under UAE colors, is listed at six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. He is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the sport, averaging an elite 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and connects at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- The winner of Chimaev vs. Strickland becomes the immediate front-runner for a title shot against Du Plessis.
- Du Plessis's social media post teasing "unexpected encounters" adds intrigue to fight week in Newark.
- All three fighters share a similar age bracket and are operating at the peak of the 185-pound division, signaling a defining era for the weight class.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
