Chimaev defends title vs Strickland at UFC 328

Khamzat Chimaev puts his UFC middleweight title on the line against former champion Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328, scheduled for May 9 in Newark, New Jersey.

Chimaev, known as "Borz," carries a 15-1 record into his first championship defense. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains out of Allstars Training Center, is ranked tenth pound-for-pound in the sport. His game is built on relentless pressure and elite grappling, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes. He also connects on 60 percent of his significant strikes, one of the higher accuracy figures in the division.

Strickland, the 35-year-old American nicknamed "Tarzan," brings a 31-7 record and previous championship experience into this contest. Training out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one, 185-centimeter orthodox striker carries a 76-inch reach and operates at an exceptionally high output, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. His durability and volume striking have made him one of the most difficult fighters in the division to finish.

The matchup carries genuine personal animosity, with bad blood between the two men already generating friction ahead of fight week.

Why it matters

• Chimaev's first title defense establishes whether he can hold the division's top spot against elite competition
• Strickland's path back to gold runs directly through the man who dethroned him or succeeded him, raising the stakes considerably
• The stylistic contrast is stark: Chimaev's high-level wrestling and submission threats against Strickland's high-volume striking and proven chin
• A win for either fighter shapes the middleweight landscape for the remainder of 2026