The UFC 328 press conference between Chimaev and Strickland broke the recent trend of uneventful promotional events by delivering genuine emotion and confrontation. Analyst Oleg noted this was the first press conference in recent memory to provide both substance and excitement, with both fighters successfully heating up the bout. Chimaev appeared more energized and engaged than at any point since his fight with Gilbert Burns, even physically confronting Strickland. Despite Strickland's attempts to dominate verbally, Chimaev managed to outshout him and prevent him from landing his usual verbal punches. While giving credit to Strickland for directly confronting Chimaev with criticism he had previously only stated in interviews, the analyst remains unable to envision a realistic path to victory for Strickland, suggesting any hope for his success is based more on potential Chimaev errors than Strickland's own skills.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
