Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland participated in their final pre-fight face-off before UFC 328. The ceremonial staredown is a standard part of fight week proceedings, typically conducted at the official weigh-ins or press conference. No specific details about the interaction between the two fighters were provided in this post. The face-off marks one of the final promotional obligations before their middleweight title fight. UFC 328 is the upcoming event where these two will compete.
Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland completed their final face-off ahead of UFC 328, set to take place on May 9, 2026, with the middleweight championship on the line.
Strickland, 35, enters the bout as the reigning middleweight champion, carrying a 31-7-0 record under the banner of Xtreme Couture. The American nicknamed "Tarzan" stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and brings a relentless pressure style that has defined his championship run.
Chimaev, fighting out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, arrives as the No. 1 ranked middleweight contender and sits at No. 10 in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 32-year-old nicknamed "Borz" holds a 15-1-0 professional record and stands six-foot-two. His striking accuracy of 60 percent is among the highest in the sport, and his wrestling credentials are equally formidable — he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same window.
Why it matters
- Strickland puts his middleweight title on the line against the division's top-ranked contender
- Chimaev's elite takedown volume and 60 percent striking accuracy present a stylistic puzzle for the champion
- A Chimaev victory would install the pound-for-pound top-ten fighter as the new middleweight titleholder
- Both fighters are orthodox, setting up a technically intricate striking and grappling contest at 185 pounds
The face-off marked the completion of fight-week promotional duties for both men, with their clash just hours away.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
