UFC 328 press conference draws 210,000 live viewers

The UFC 328 press conference featuring Khamzat Chimaev and middleweight champion Sean Strickland drew 210,000 concurrent live viewers on YouTube, cementing its place as the fifth most-watched UFC press conference in history.

The numbers carry an extra distinction: the Chimaev-Strickland event stands as the most-viewed UFC press conference ever held without Conor McGregor on the stage. The four events ranked above it all featured the Irish superstar — UFC 229 with Khabib Nurmagomedov tops the list at 505,000 viewers, followed by UFC 264 and UFC 196, each drawing 360,000, and UFC 202 at 300,000.

Strickland, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, enters the fight at 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and brings a relentless output to the octagon, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute with a 76-inch reach that allows him to operate effectively at range.

Khamzat Chimaev's verified data was not included in the fighter records for this event, though his presence alone alongside a divisional champion was clearly enough to generate significant fan engagement heading into UFC 328.

Why it matters

• The 210,000-viewer figure signals that the middleweight title picture commands mainstream MMA attention even without McGregor involvement
• Strickland's champion status and polarizing personality have proven to be a genuine commercial draw
• The viewership gap between this press conference and the McGregor-era peaks gives context for just how dominant that era was, while highlighting how the sport continues to generate interest around compelling new rivalries