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Newark, NJ (March 13th, 2026)– Khamzat Chimaev, 31, (15-0) is scheduled to defend his UFC Middleweight Championship against Sean Strickland, 35, (30-7) on May 9, 2026, as the main event of UFC 328. This marks Chimaev’s first defense of the 185-pound belt, which he won by defeating Dricus du Plessis in August 2025.
Strickland secured this title shot following a dominant second-round TKO victory over Anthony Hernandez on February 21, 2026. The two have a history of “bad blood” following previous sparring sessions at Xtreme Couture, often trading insults in interviews and on social media.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland represents a stylistic clash between elite wrestling and high-volume boxing. Based on 2022 training sessions and their contrasting styles, Chimaev (15-0) holds a massive grappling advantage, while Strickland (30-x) relies on his technical jab, defensive responsibility, and cardio.
Projected UFC 328 Fight Card (As of March 12, 2026) *Subject to Change
Main Event (Middleweight Title): Khamzat Chimaev (c) vs. Sean Strickland
Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Welterweight Bout: Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley
Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov
Lightweight Bout: King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens
Middleweight Bout: Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio
Middleweight Bout: Ateba Gautier vs. Osman Diaz
Bantamweight Bout: Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa
Opening Betting Odds:
Khamzat Chimaev opened as a significant -600 favorite, with challenger Sean Strickland as a +450 underdog. Early betting action has already seen the line move from an open of -400 for Chimaev.
This event is part of a new 7-year deal with Paramount+, which will exclusively stream UFC events in 2026.
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