Newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will make his first 185-pound title defense against former division titleholder Sean Strickland atop the upcoming UFC 328 event on Paramount+, scheduled for Sat., May 9, 2026 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Chimaev (15-0) is currently the -600 betting favorite for UFC 328, according to the number crunchers at BetOnline.ag, against +450 for Strickland (30-7). “Borz” actually opened at -400 but hasty bettors have already plunked down a considerable amount of coin, driving the moneyline even higher.
“I’m dumping the house on Strickland on that one,” UFC veteran and FBI trainer Jorge Masvidal said on the “Death Row MMA” podcast. “Strickland beats him. It’s a bad style for [Chimaev]. I’ve seen Sean go with good wrestlers over at American Top Team, guys that have wrestled their whole lives, All-Americans, national champions, and, dude, this guy can wrestle defensively. He never uses his wrestling in a fight, but if you try to wrestle with him, you quickly find out — this guy can wrestle back into me.”
“That costs a lot of energy, and Chimaev doesn’t have the best gas tank,” Masvidal continued. “Never been a fan of that style, because it’s fighting, not hugging, and you also have to be a part of entertainment. So if you have a guy in a crucifix but you’re so worried that he might get away that you’re not gonna throw strikes – that pisses me off. He’s a nervous guy, he doesn’t wanna get hit.”
We’ll find out in less than two months.
