The UFC 328 pre-fight press conference featuring Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland attracted 210,000 concurrent viewers on YouTube, making it the fifth-highest viewership in UFC press conference history. It ranks as the most-watched press conference not involving Conor McGregor. The all-time record remains Khabib Nurmagomedov versus McGregor at UFC 229 with 505,000 live viewers. McGregor's other press conferences occupy the second through fourth spots, with UFC 264 and UFC 196 both drawing 360,000 viewers, and UFC 202 reaching 300,000. The strong viewership indicates significant fan interest in the Chimaev-Strickland matchup.
The UFC 328 pre-fight press conference drew 210,000 concurrent live viewers on YouTube, landing it fifth on the all-time list for UFC press conference viewership and marking the most-watched event of its kind not to feature Conor McGregor.
The headline matchup driving that interest is middleweight champion Sean Strickland defending his title against the division's top-ranked contender, Khamzat Chimaev. The two fighters sharing the stage clearly resonated with fans, given the historic viewership benchmark the stream achieved the day before the event.
Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7 record into the fight and has built his reputation as one of the sport's most relentless pressure strikers. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the American stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute, among the highest output rates in the division.
Chimaev, 32, enters at 15-1 and holds the number-ten spot on the pound-for-pound rankings. The UAE-based Allstars Training Center product is ranked first in the middleweight division and presents a dual threat: he lands 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.8 submissions in the same span, while also posting a 60 percent striking accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- The 210,000 viewer mark is the highest ever recorded for a UFC press conference without McGregor's involvement, underlining the star power both fighters now carry.
- For context, the all-time record belongs to the Khabib Nurmagomedov versus McGregor UFC 229 face-off at 505,000 viewers, with McGregor appearances at UFC 264, UFC 196, and UFC 202 filling spots two through four.
- A Chimaev victory would install the pound-for-pound top-ten contender as middleweight champion; a Strickland retention would further cement his status at the top of a competitive division.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
