Chimaev kicks Strickland during UFC 328 face-off after heated exchange

Tensions boiled over at the UFC 328 pre-fight faceoff on May 7 when Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland in the leg following a heated verbal exchange between the two middleweights, just two days before their scheduled bout.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, enters the fight at 31-7-0 and 35 years old, representing the United States out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-one, orthodox striker is one of the division's most prolific volume punchers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy across his career. After the faceoff incident, Strickland made clear he viewed the kick as a predictable act, calling it exactly what he expected from a coward.

Chimaev, ranked number one in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, brings a 15-1-0 record into the contest at 32 years of age. The six-foot-two Allstars Training Center product fighting out of the United Arab Emirates has built his reputation on overwhelming grappling, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same span. His striking accuracy stands at an imposing 60 percent. During the faceoff, Chimaev initially told Dana White he would not touch Strickland before reversing course moments later, warning he would knock him out and then delivering the kick.

Why it matters

• The incident raises the intensity around a middleweight title fight that already carried enormous divisional weight
• Chimaev's number-one ranking makes this a direct title challenge, with a win potentially reshaping the 185-pound landscape
• The stylistic contrast is stark — Strickland's high-volume striking output against Chimaev's elite grappling and takedown aggression sets up a compelling clash of approaches
• The physical provocation at the faceoff adds an unpredictable edge heading into fight night at UFC 328 on May 9