Khamzat Chimaev to defend UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 328; Former champion Dricus du Plessis makes a bold prediction

Khamzat Chimaev will defend his UFC middleweight championship for the first time against former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 328. The event will take place on May 9, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark. The fight will headline the card and is expected to be the biggest storyline of the night. The co-main event will feature a heavyweight matchup between Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. The bout is being viewed as a possible heavyweight title eliminator, meaning the winner could move closer to a future championship opportunity.

Chimaev enters the fight with a perfect 15-0 record. He won the middleweight title last August after defeating Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision in a dominant performance. Strickland, who holds a 30-7 record, earned this title shot after stopping Anthony Hernandez in his latest fight. He was selected for the opportunity ahead of fellow contender Nassourdine Imavov.

Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), officially announced the matchup on March 12. The fight also carries extra drama because Chimaev and Strickland have had a tense relationship for years. They once trained together at Xtreme Couture and have exchanged harsh comments in interviews and on social media.


Now, fans are eager to see if Chimaev can keep his unbeaten record and defend his belt, or if Strickland can win the title again and return to the top of the middleweight division.

Former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis recently made a bold prediction on the unusual matchup.

Despite Chimaev’s huge advantage in wrestling, du Plessis believes Strickland could still make the fight very competitive. He pointed out that Strickland has the edge in striking and uses his jab and pressure effectively.


Talking to SABoxing Talk, du Plessis shared his thoughts on the upcoming middleweight title fight.

"In striking, Strickland definitely beats Khamzat, for sure. Khamzat is a problem when he has you on your back - we’ve seen that many times. He is a lot stronger than people might think. I think he has a very good chance in that fight."