Khamzat Chimaev fights Sean Strickland in UFC 328 main event
Updated
Updated · UFC · May 7
Khamzat Chimaev fights Sean Strickland in UFC 328 main event
8 articles · Updated · UFC · May 7
The middleweight title bout takes place on 9 May at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, nine months after Chimaev beat Dricus Du Plessis for the belt.
Chimaev said he pushed UFC executive Hunter Campbell to make the matchup after former champion Strickland intensified their feud following his February win over Anthony Hernandez.
The unbeaten 32-year-old champion enters his first title defence with elite grappling metrics, while Strickland's pressure striking and 76% takedown defence shape the stylistic test.
Can Khamzat Chimaev's 'otherworldly grappling' dominate the larger, stronger light heavyweight division?
Was the Chimaev-Strickland feud a real rivalry or just a brilliant marketing move by the UFC?
After a rumored 46-pound weight cut, should the UFC reform weigh-in rules to protect its fighters?