The main question heading into UFC 328 is whether Sean Strickland can get back to his feet after takedowns from Khamzat Chimaev. The first takedown will reveal whether Strickland can safely stand up, fully break grips, return to distance, and force Chimaev to expend energy defending submissions and ground strikes. Training partners Luke Rockhold, Jorge Masvidal, and Sharaf Davlatmurodov all attest to Strickland's exceptional ability to stand up, even when working with heavyweights, attributing it to wrestling-based explosiveness rather than technical guard work. Strickland has previously escaped takedowns from Dricus Du Plessis six times and from Usman in their 2017 fight, though he gave up significant control time. The analysis suggests Chimaev will likely hold Strickland against the cage and drag him down, and that clean stand-ups in the center are unlikely. The author predicts Chimaev will take more risks in grappling exchanges and potentially finish the fight, or if Strickland proves stronger than expected, Chimaev will shift to striking and win on points.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
