UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland: Preview and Prediction

The UFC middleweight championship will be up for grabs this Saturday in the main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. UFC 328 will take place inside the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey.

Ahead of the bout, the crowd around it is massive, given the bad blood and history between Chimaev and Strickland. Let’s take a look at which among them has a better chance of winning the title showdown.

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev became the middleweight champion by beating Dricus Du Plessis back at UFC 319, and since then hasn’t fought. The fighter is undefeated and plans to continue his winning streak this weekend.

Chimaev and Strickland have had a nasty history with both fighters crossing boundaries while trash-talking. The ‘Borz’ plans to shut down the challenger and finish this rivalry once and for all, and potentially move up to the light heavyweight division.

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland is a former middleweight champion and is undoubtedly one of the most controversial fighters on the UFC roster. Strickland has previously shocked everyone by beating Israel Adesanya and winning the belt, and plans to do the same this time.

The ‘Tarzan’ has accused Chimaev of being a terrorist and brought massive attention to the fight. Strickland believes his takedown defence will be enough to beat Chimaev and take back his belt.

Tale of the Tape

Categories	Sean Strickland	Khamzat Chimaev
Age	34	31
Height	6’1″	6’2″
Reach	76″	75″
Record	30-7-0	14-0-0
Fighting out of	Corona, California, USA	Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SHOP: Kickboxing Equipment

How to watch UFC 328

Fans in the United Kingdom can watch the upcoming UFC 328 live on TNT Sports. The early prelims are expected to begin around 11 PM BST, while the main card will likely start at 3 AM BST on Sunday.

Viewers in the United States can catch UFC 328 live on Paramount +. The early prelims are expected around 6 PM ET / 3 PM PT, while the main card should begin at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT.

Fight Analysis and Prediction

Khamzat Chimaev is well known for his relentless and suffocating pressure with his dominant wrestling skills inside the octagon. In his last bout, Chimaev dominated the former champion for 21 minutes and prevented him from initiating any offense whatsoever.

If the fight goes into the later rounds, the Russian definitely has the upper hand because of his incredible cardio advantage. On the other hand, Strickland securing an early round finish by knockout or submission against Chimaev appears extremely unlikely.

The challenger plans to keep the fight standing, but defending takedowns against Chimaev might become much harder than expected. With his momentum and wrestling threat, Chimaev clearly has a better chance to beat the ‘Tarzan’.

Final Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev via unanimous decision.