Security separates Chimaev and Strickland at UFC 328 event

Security personnel were forced to step in and separate Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland after the two nearly came to blows at a UFC 328 promotional event on May 8, one day before their scheduled middleweight main event.

Strickland, 35, enters the fight as the reigning middleweight champion, carrying a 31-7-0 record compiled out of Xtreme Couture. The American stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is one of the division's most relentless volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. His grappling threat is modest by comparison, averaging just 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes, but his durability and output have defined his run to the title.

Chimaev, ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, brings a 15-1-0 record into the cage for the UAE-based Allstars Training Center fighter. The 30-year-old — listed at six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach — is an elite finishing threat across multiple disciplines, posting a remarkable 60 percent striking accuracy alongside a smothering 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in the same span.

Why it matters

• The confrontation signals the animosity between these two fighters is genuine, which adds an unpredictable edge to an already high-stakes main event.
• A Chimaev victory would deliver the number-one middleweight contender his first world title shot converted into gold, reshaping the division's landscape entirely.
• The stylistic contrast is stark: Strickland's high-volume striking against Chimaev's pressure-heavy wrestling and finishing ability sets up a genuine clash of approaches.
• Both fighters are ranked among the sport's elite, ensuring the outcome carries significant pound-for-pound implications as well.