Chimaev vs. Strickland UFC 328 resume comparison released

TNT Sports has released a head-to-head statistical comparison of middleweight champion Sean Strickland and top contender Khamzat Chimaev ahead of their scheduled meeting at UFC 328, inviting fans to assess which man has faced the stiffer opposition on his way to this moment.

Strickland, nicknamed "Tarzan," enters as the reigning middleweight champion with a record of 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture and stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, is one of the division's most relentless volume strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. His grappling exposure remains limited, averaging just 0.71 takedowns and 0.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, a detail that shapes how analysts view his defensive wrestling demands heading into this fight.

Chimaev, known as "Borz," comes in ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound, carrying a 15-1-0 record. The 32-year-old, representing the United Arab Emirates and training at Allstars Training Center in Sweden, stands six-foot-two and brings a physically imposing style built around a crushing wrestling game — 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes — combined with a striking accuracy of 60 percent on 4.04 significant strikes landed per minute. His 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes underlines that he remains dangerous wherever the fight goes.

Why it matters

• Strickland's elite striking volume meets Chimaev's historically high takedown rate, creating a sharp stylistic puzzle for both camps
• The opposition quality debate reflects genuine questions about each fighter's path through the division, which the TNT Sports graphic directly surfaces
• A win for either man carries significant pound-for-pound implications, with Chimaev already sitting at number ten on that list and Strickland holding championship status