Going into the fight, Chimaev was undefeated and was the fan favourite to win with his superior wrestling. However, the reality turned out to be different as Strickland took home the win via a split decision.

From the beginning of the fight, Khamzat Chimaev tried to impose his relentless pressure and keep Strickland on the ground. However, the ‘Tarzan’ made sure to use his striking and takedown defence to keep the champion at bay and ultimately won the fight.

“When you go and fight another man, your soul is just exposed. When you’re bleeding, I want to quit; he wants to quit. You just have this level of respect that transcends race, religion, and nationality. You kinda become someone’s brother,” said Sean Strickland while squashing his beef with Khamzat Chimaev.

Sean Strickland mentioned that, unlike other UFC fighters, he tries his best to entertain the fans and is saving UFC. With the win, Strickland is now a two-time UFC middleweight champion and is ready to defend his title soon.

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UFC CEO confirms Khamzat Chimaev’s light heavyweight move following Sean Strickland’s loss

Khamzat Chimaev started his career in the UFC welterweight division and had issues with weight cutting, and moved up. However, during his last weight cut ahead of UFC 328, many fans and experts pointed out how it affected his performance.

The fighter had been giving thoughts about moving up to the light heavyweight division, and it turns out, following the last loss, things are clearer. UFC CEO Dana White has also confirmed that Chimaev has decided to move up next.

“He literally walked up to me after the fight said, ‘ I wanna move up, I don’t wanna fight in this weight class anymore’. Him moving up is exciting,” said Dana White via UFC 328 post-fight presser.

In the light heavyweight division, Chimaev has an ongoing beef with the current champion, Alex Pereira. The light heavyweight division is stacked, and according to fans, a wrestler like Chimaev can become very successful.

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The post Sean Strickland Becomes Two-Time UFC Middleweight Champion After Defeating Khamzat Chimaev first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

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

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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.

READ MORE: Elbrus Osmanov Eyes Next Move After Earning ONE Championship Main Roster Contract

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The post UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland: Preview and Prediction first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

The main event bout between Chimaev and Strickland has particularly piqued interest, given the history behind both fighters. Now, let’s take a look at the full fight card and other details about UFC 328.

How to watch

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.

Main Event

Khamzat Chimaev hasn’t stepped into the UFC Octagon since winning the middleweight belt back in UFC 319. The fighter is undefeated and is looking forward to continuing his streak and settling his bad blood against Strickland.

Sean Strickland, in his last bout, beat Anthony Hernandez and proved why he’s the best in the division to challenge the Russian. Going into the fight, both fighters have shared multiple verbal exchanges, which have made it entertaining.

Chimaev is well known for relentless wrestling, which he uses to dominate his opponents for five rounds. Despite being the underdog, Strickland believes he can counter those takedowns and beat the ‘Borz’.

Full Fight Card

Main Card

• Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland – Middleweight title bout
• Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira – Flyweight title bout
• Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta – Heavyweight
• Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley – Welterweight
• King Green vs Jeremy Stephens – Lightweight

Preliminary card

• Patricio Pitbull vs Aaron Pico – Featherweight
• Kevin Holland vs Randy Brown – Welterweight
• Mateusz Gamrot vs Esteban Ribovics – Lightweight
• Tatiana Suarez vs Lupita Godinez – Women’s Strawweight
• MarQuel Mederos vs Chris Padilla – Lightweight
• Kelvin Gastelum vs Vicente Luque – Middleweight
• Charles Radtke vs Francisco Prado – Welterweight

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The post UFC 328: Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Event Details and Full Fight Card first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Khamzat Chimaev enters UFC 328 defending his championship after defeating Dricus Du Plessis and capturing gold at UFC 319 previously. His long-standing rivalry against Sean Strickland has intensified recently, transforming their upcoming encounter into a highly anticipated grudge fight.

Ahead of their massive championship clash, Strickland repeatedly expressed strong resentment toward Chimaev through interviews and press conferences. During one viral interview, the outspoken American shocked MMA fans after making controversial comments.

“I’m gonna pull my gun out and shoot him… If you come up to me with three goat f*cker. Chechnyans that don’t speak English, I’m gonna pull my gun, and I’m gonna shoot each and every one of you,” said Sean Strickland via UFC Media Day.

Sean Strickland is well known for using guns, sharing videos online, and carrying guns in the gym. In a recent video, he was seen showing former UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou his gun in the gym. On the other hand, he has always been critical of Khamzat Chimaev’s relationship with the Russian warlord and crypto controversy.

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Khamzat Chimaev warns Sean Strickland before title clash

Khamzat Chimaev is regarded as one of the most dominant and aggressive champions of the current UFC roster. The fighter is undefeated, and his wrestling is too overwhelming for his opponents to survive.

However, according to Sean Strickland, he has the takedown defence to defend against the ‘Borz’ and bring the belt back to America. Given their ongoing exchanges on social media, the champion recently mocked Strickland in an interview.

“What’s your reaction when you see a clown in a circus? My friends confronted Sean once about his talk, and he said he’s only doing it to get the fight. I don’t like fake people,” said Khamzat Chimaev via Adam Zubayraev.

Following the shooting comments from Strickland, Chimaev has responded strongly, claiming that New Jersey is his home due to the Muslim community. According to the Russian, Strickland is a loudmouth and is doing all this just to create hype for the fight.

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The post “I’m Gonna Pull My Gun”- Sean Strickland Sparks Controversy With Threat Aimed At Khamzat Chimaev Before UFC 328 first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

The fight is scheduled as the main event of UFC 328, taking place inside the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Following the official announcement, several experts and analysts, including former champion Kamaru Usman, have publicly shared their predictions about the outcome.

“Khamzat Chimaev is one of those very very special guys. He has the ability to do these great things, but at the same time we’re still waiting for a complete performance because he almost uses one skill to dominate and win these fights. We’re still kind of waiting for that one guy that’s going to stop that one dominant thing that Khamzat does, and then we see all of his arsenal,” said Kamaru Usman via the Pound 4 Pound Show. 

Usman has already fought Chimaev on short notice and was able to put up with him for three rounds. Despite his wrestling dominance, Chimaev has yet to go against a touch wrestler with good takedown defence. 

Sean Strickland believes he possesses the skills, toughness, and mentality needed to defeat Khamzat Chimaev in their anticipated grudge fight. Both fighters share a heated rivalry fueled by personal remarks, increasing fan interest, and adding intensity to this anticipated clash.

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UFC veteran questions Nasirroudine Imavov losing the Khamzat Chimaev fight to Sean Strickland 

Before Sean Strickland won against Anthony Hernandez and got himself a title shot, it was Nasirroudine Imavov who was in line. He and Khamzat Chimaev verbally agreed to fight, but it seems like, for UFC, that fight didn’t receive that hype from fans. 

Former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad recently spoke about this in detail and shared how unfair it was for the Frenchman. “You gotta feel for Imavov. He earned the title shot. But then that trash talk, stupidity and the era we live in now where Strickland talks his way into a title shot,” said Belal Muhammad via his YouTube. 

😬Belal Muhammad says Sean Strickland doesn’t deserve title shot against Chimaev:

“You gotta feel for Imavov. He earned the title shot.

But then that trash talk, stupidity and the era we live in now where Strickland talks his way into a title shot.”

(via @bullyb170) pic.twitter.com/4hliuWOUT7

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 19, 2026

Throughout UFC’s history, fighters have often used trash talking to get ahead in the title race. Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen, Colby Covington, etc., are big examples of such instances. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see whether Strickland can back the trash-talking against Khamzat Chimaev. 

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The post Kamaru Usman Backs Sean Strickland to End Khamzat Chimaev’s Wrestling Dominance first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Most fans and analysts expect Chimaev to dominate Strickland with his overwhelming grappling ability. The Chechen-born undefeated fighter has steamrolled through the middleweight division since moving up from welterweight. His most recent performance came against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. Chimaev controlled that fight completely with his wrestling and ground control. 

But now, Du Plessis has shocked fans with bold prediction for Sean Strickland vs Khamzat Chimaev. Having fought both men, his take has weight and it is garnering attention from the fans and analysts alike.

Dricus Du Plessis Believes Strickland Can Win The Striking Battle

The former champion appeared on SA Boxing Talk recently and broke down the upcoming title fight. He shared insights from fighting both men and explained why Strickland possesses the tools to potentially upset Chimaev. Du Plessis knows both fighters extremely well from sharing the octagon with them multiple times. 

He defeated Strickland twice during their rivalry. Their first meeting at UFC 297 ended in a controversial split decision favoring du Plessis. The rematch at UFC 312 was more definitive, with du Plessis earning a clear unanimous decision victory. So the South African understands Strickland’s capabilities better than most people in the sport right now.

“In the striking, he definitely beats Khamzat for sure. Khamzat is a problem to deal with when he has you on your back. We’ve seen that many times…I think he has a very good chance in that fight”

According to du Plessis, Strickland holds a significant advantage in the striking department against Chimaev.  The real question becomes whether Strickland can keep the fight standing long enough to implement his striking game. Chimaev’s wrestling credentials are absolutely elite at the highest levels of competition. 

The former Swedish freestyle wrestling champion uses his grappling to neutralize opponents who possess superior striking skills. He did exactly that against du Plessis, taking him down repeatedly and controlling him on the canvas. Du Plessis spent most of that fight looking up at the ceiling while Chimaev rained down punches and maintained dominant positions.

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Sean Strickland’s Cage Wrestling Could Be The Difference

Du Plessis offered an interesting perspective on Strickland’s ability to defend takedowns and get back to his feet. He took Sean Strickland down seven times during their fights together. But holding Strickland down proved incredibly difficult despite achieving those takedowns successfully. 

“With Strickland, what he does brilliantly… I took Strickland down, I think, seven times. The way he gets up, to hold him down, is incredibly hard.” 

That skill could prove crucial against Chimaev’s relentless grappling pressure throughout five championship rounds. Strickland trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, a gym famous for cage wrestling techniques. The facility specializes in teaching fighters how to get back to their feet quickly after being taken down. Du Plessis also mentioned that Strickland is way stronger than people realize just by watching him fight.

The strength factor matters significantly when defending takedowns and standing back up against elite grapplers. Chimaev relies heavily on his physical dominance to impose his will on opponents. But if Strickland can match that strength and use proper technique, he might frustrate Chimaev’s game plan completely. 

The upcoming fight between Strickland and Chimaev will answer many questions about both fighters. Can Strickland’s cage wrestling and striking keep Chimaev at bay for twenty-five minutes? Or will Khamzat Chimaev impose his will like he did against du Plessis and other opponents? These questions will be answered at UFC 328 on May 10! 

(Image Credit: DAZN/YouTube)

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The post Du Plessis Shocks Fans With Bold Prediction For Sean Strickland vs Khamzat Chimaev At UFC 328! first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.