UFC 328: 5 Brutal Truths About Chimaev vs Strickland
這 UFC 328 main event on May 10, 2026 puts Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev’s freshly-won middleweight belt on the line against the man who never stopped believing he’d get another title shot — Sean Strickland. Chimaev claimed gold just seven months ago when he dismantled Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312, and the Newark crowd will soon find out whether his demolition-crew style holds up against one of the division’s most durable, psychologically unshakeable challengers.
UFC 328 Fight Card: What’s on the Undercard
The full UFC 328 fight card is stacked from top to bottom. Beyond the middleweight title clash, Newark’s Prudential Center will host a heavyweight showdown between Alexander Volkov (#2) and Waldo Cortes Acosta (#4) in the co-main event. Light heavyweight also features Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov, while welterweights Sean Brady (#6) and Joaquin Buckley (#9) settle their rankings dispute. Add Bobby Green vs. Jeremy Stephens in a lightweight fan-favourite clash and you have one of the most complete pay-per-view cards of the year.
For anyone who follows the ongoing debate about UFC fighter pay, a card of this magnitude always raises questions about how much the athletes actually see from gate and PPV revenue — but for now, let’s focus on the title fight that has the whole MMA world talking.
Khamzat Chimaev’s Record and Path to the Title
Khamzat Chimaev sits at a flawless 15-0-0 as a professional MMA fighter. The Chechen-born Swede has finished opponents in every imaginable way — six knockouts, six submissions, nine first-round finishes — and he’s never been in a fight where he looked anything less than absolutely dominant. His wrestling base is suffocating, his cardio is legendary, and his chin has been tested by elite competition without showing cracks.
The title win over du Plessis at UFC 312 in August 2025 was the crowning moment: a gruelling five-round war where Chimaev’s pressure and volume ultimately broke down the South African champion. Before that, Chimaev had picked apart Kamaru Usman via majority decision and knocked out Robert Whittaker. At 31, he’s physically in his prime and fighting with a confidence that borders on reckless — which is exactly what makes him dangerous.
Sean Strickland’s Road Back: Why He Deserves This Shot
Sean Strickland’s UFC record tells a complicated story. The 35-year-old Californian from Millennia MMA in Rancho has beaten some of the best in the world — including his stunning upset of Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to claim the belt — but he’s also dropped decisions to du Plessis twice (at UFC 297 and UFC 312). Despite those losses, Strickland rebounded by stopping Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night in February 2026, which rubber-stamped his number-three ranking and earned him this title shot.
What makes Strickland dangerous is rarely the highlight-reel finish. He owns 12 UFC KOs but he wins ugly just as often — grinding out decisions, absorbing punishment while working the body, and never, ever flinching mentally. He famously absorbed Pereira’s first-round power at UFC 276 and still showed up to the next fight. His psychological durability is unlike anything else in the division, and that’s the exact quality Chimaev’s opponents have historically lacked.
Colby Covington’s Prediction: Will Chimaev “Fold” Strickland?
Colby Covington — never a man to say something quietly — made his prediction for UFC 328 loud and clear. According to Covington, Chimaev will “fold” Strickland, citing the champion’s overwhelming wrestling and the physical beatdown he puts on opponents who can’t match his grappling. Covington’s logic is straightforward: Strickland’s victories come on the feet, and the moment Chimaev drags this fight to the mat, Strickland’s advantages evaporate.
It’s not a crazy take. Chimaev’s takedown threat forces opponents into compromised defensive positions from the first minute. Even fighters with elite wrestling defense — like Usman — have been unable to stop the Borz’s combinations of wrestling entries. But Strickland’s supporters point out that he’s spent years drilling for exactly this scenario at one of the most MMA-complete gyms on the West Coast. Unlike some of Chimaev’s previous opponents, Strickland won’t be shaken by the pressure — mental or physical.
The Grappling Question: Can Strickland Survive on the Mat?
This is the crux of the fight. Chimaev’s stats tell the story: he averages 5.29 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, completes 86% of his takedown defense, and lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute. The man is relentless. His ground-and-pound from top position and submission hunting from dominant positions (6 career submission wins) make every trip to the mat a genuine danger zone.
For Strickland, the key is staying vertical. His reach advantage (76 inches vs. Chimaev’s 74) and high-volume boxing output (he’s been training heavily at Millennia with some of the best striking coaches in the game) mean that a stand-up fight plays to his strengths. He’s outworked highly ranked opponents before by sheer volume and pressure, and Chimaev — despite his ferocity — is not a traditional striker who will out-box Strickland at range.
BJJ fans watching this fight will be particularly interested in the submission battle. Chimaev’s grappling background covers Chechen folk wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and combat sambo — a truly dangerous combination when you’re looking for chokes and arm locks. Strickland has four RNC submissions of his own and has escaped bad positions against elite grapplers before. This fight has mat time written all over it — and if wrestling and grappling intersect with striking in the way it did in some 2026’s most dramatic fights, Newark could witness something special.
5 Reasons This Fight Could Go Either Way
1. Strickland’s chin is certified elite. He’s been stopped twice in his UFC career (Pereira KO, dos Santos KO), but both came at welterweight in his earlier days. At 185 pounds and at 35 years old, he’s a far more experienced fighter who has absorbed Adesanya, Costa, and others at full power without going away.
2. Chimaev’s gas tank. There are moments — late in the du Plessis fight — where Chimaev appeared to slow. Strickland thrives when the pace drops because his volume stays consistent even when legs get heavy. If he can take the worst of Chimaev’s early pressure and survive into round four, the momentum could shift.
3. The wrestling differential may be smaller than expected. Strickland has trained his takedown defense with laser focus since losing to du Plessis. He’s not Usman, but he’s also not going to fold at the first contact. His dirty boxing in the clinch can score points even when Chimaev is grinding.
4. Chimaev’s submission threat is real. Six submission wins at the pro level, including a savage rear-naked choke of Gerald Meerschaert and a triangle against Li Jingliang. If Strickland goes to the ground and gets put in a bad spot, the fight can end quickly.
5. Newark crowd factor. Strickland has massive American fan support and will likely walk out to a building cheering him on. Home-country crowd pressure has affected champions before. This won’t decide the fight, but emotional momentum matters.
What It Means for the Middleweight Division
The winner of UFC 328 inherits a loaded division. Dricus du Plessis is sitting at the top of the rankings waiting for his rematch, Israel Adesanya just lost to Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle but remains a perennial threat, and young contenders like Robert Whittaker and Anthony Hernandez are knocking on the door. The title picture will be defined by whoever comes out of Newark with the belt.
For Chimaev, a defense of the title means cementing his status as one of the most dominant champions in the history of the middleweight division — a position occupied before him by Anderson Silva, Jon Jones (at 185), and Adesanya. For Strickland, a win would be the ultimate underdog redemption story: the man who beat the odds once at UFC 293 doing it again against the most feared fighter in the division.
UFC 328 Prediction: Borz Defends, But It Won’t Be Clean
Khamzat Chimaev wins UFC 328, but this is not a first-round obliteration. Strickland’s durability and mental fortitude will push the champion deeper into a fight than most of his opponents have managed. Expect a high-drama first three rounds — Chimaev shooting, Strickland countering on the break, both men eating shots — before the champion’s wrestling advantage becomes decisive in rounds four or five.
Covington’s “fold” prediction feels too clean. Strickland doesn’t fold — he bends, absorbs, and grinds. The real question is whether Chimaev can impose his wrestling often enough to score the stoppage, or whether Strickland’s volume striking eats into the scorecards and creates a genuine decision drama. UFC 328 takes place May 10, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey — put it in your calendar.
For the BJJ and MMA training community, fights like this serve as a reminder of what elite grappling looks like when blended with elite striking under pressure. Whether you’re drilling takedown defense at your gym or studying championship-level wrestling — the fundamentals Chimaev demonstrates in every fight are the fundamentals that work at every level.
Chinese 
English