The MMA database website Tapology has added a new feature that calculates and displays an opponent quality level for UFC fighters. The metric is expressed as a number between 1 and 99, calculated using a specific formula based on a fighter's last six UFC bouts, with fights in other organizations excluded from the calculation. For UFC 328, the highest opponent quality ratings belong to Sean Strickland (74), Khamzat Chimaev (69), and Alexander Volkov (67), while the lowest belong to Baisangur Susurkayev and Ozzie Diaz (both 4). The system provides fans and analysts with a quantitative measure of the caliber of competition fighters have faced in their recent UFC appearances. This data-driven approach may help contextualize fighter records and career trajectories more accurately.
Tapology has rolled out a new opponent quality metric for UFC fighters, assigning each competitor a score between 1 and 99 based on the caliber of their last six UFC appearances, with bouts outside the promotion excluded from the calculation. The feature, which went live ahead of UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, gives fans and analysts a quantitative tool to assess how difficult a fighter's recent path has been.
Among the UFC 328 roster, middleweight champion Sean Strickland leads all fighters with an opponent quality score of 74. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture and carries a 31-7-0 record, is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy across a 76-inch reach.
Heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov ranks second on the card with a score of 69, followed closely by a score of 67. The six-foot-seven Russian, known as Drago, holds a 40-11-0 record and is ranked first in the heavyweight division at age 37. Volkov connects on 57 percent of his significant strikes, one of the higher accuracy figures among active heavyweights.
Khamzat Chimaev also appears among the top scorers with a rating of 69, though verified statistical data for him was not available in this report.
At the other end of the spectrum, Baisangur Susurkayev and Ozzie Diaz both received scores of 4, reflecting limited UFC competition on their recent records.
Why it matters
- The metric gives context to fighter records by separating dominant runs against elite competition from those built against softer matchups
- Top scores for Strickland and Volkov reinforce that both have been tested at the highest level in their respective divisions recently
- Lower scores for newer entrants like Susurkayev and Diaz are expected but now quantified, helping frame expectations for their UFC 328 performances
Saturday, May 9, 2026
