The UFC 328 press conference featuring Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland attracted 210,000 concurrent viewers on YouTube, making it the fifth most-watched UFC press conference of all time. More significantly, it was the most-viewed press conference ever that did not feature Conor McGregor. The only events to surpass it were UFC 229 (Khabib vs McGregor) with 505,000 viewers, UFC 264 (McGregor vs Poirier 3) with 360,000, UFC 196 (McGregor vs Diaz) with 360,000, and UFC 202 (McGregor vs Diaz 2) with 300,000. This viewership milestone indicates strong public interest in the Chimaev-Strickland matchup.
The UFC 328 pre-fight press conference drew 210,000 concurrent viewers on YouTube, establishing the middleweight title clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland as one of the most anticipated events in recent UFC history.
The figure places the event fifth on the all-time list of most-watched UFC press conferences on the platform, and more notably, it stands as the highest viewership ever recorded for a press conference that did not feature Conor McGregor. The four events ahead of it — UFC 229, UFC 264, UFC 196, and UFC 202 — all had McGregor as a headliner, drawing between 300,000 and 505,000 viewers. At 210,000, UFC 328 sits comfortably clear of anything outside that McGregor era.
Sean Strickland, 35, enters the fight as the middleweight champion representing the United States out of Xtreme Couture. The 31-7 record holder stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is among the sport's highest-volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. Strickland fights out of an orthodox stance and relies heavily on his output to dictate fights.
Khamzat Chimaev, known as Borz, is the division's top-ranked contender and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old fighting out of the United Arab Emirates for Allstars Training Center carries a 15-1 record and brings a sharply contrasting game plan to the cage. His 60 percent striking accuracy is elite, and his wrestling is relentless — he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same span.
Why it matters
- The viewership milestone reflects mainstream interest in the middleweight title beyond the hardcore fanbase
- Chimaev enters as the number one contender and top-ten pound-for-pound fighter, giving the matchup clear divisional and historical weight
- The stylistic contrast — Strickland's volume striking against Chimaev's accuracy and elite wrestling — gives fans a genuinely compelling tactical puzzle
Saturday, May 9, 2026
