UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland—Bio and Stats

A two-belt matchup that fans are eagerly waiting for as their front-runner fighters perform in the octagon. The upcoming UFC 328 will feature a middleweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. The middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, will face Sean Strickland in the same division. This headline event between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland will compete for the middleweight title. Additionally, the co-main event features Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira for the exciting flyweight bout.

Every week, the UFC world has many fighters’ clashes to witness unforgettable wonders. This time, the UFC 328 event in the United States will feature a set of individual fan bases in the octagon. In the co-main event, Joshua Van is the UFC’s first Asian-born male champion in the flyweight division against Tatsuro Taira. Overall, four top fighters will go head-to-head in battles that promise to dominate the action inside the octagon.

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UFC 328: Event Background and Overview

UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland is an upcoming mixed martial arts event under the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This event will mark the 12th visit to Newark, United States, for the MMA world. A main card between unbeaten champion Khamzat Chimaev and former champion Sean Strickland is a tussle for a middleweight bout. Another co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira will showcase an intense battle inside the octagon. A middleweight title between Osman Diaz and Ateba Gautier is set to take place at this event.

Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley was originally set to headline UFC Fight Night two weeks prior. But it was moved to UFC 328 for undisclosed reasons. On a preliminary card, Jim Miller and Jared Gordon are competing for the lightweight title at this event. These fighters will be ready to face their opponents to achieve an early victory in their careers.

From Origins to the Octagon: Fighters’ Journeys

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat was born into and grew up in a poor family. His full name was Khamzat Khizarovich Chimaev, and he is a Russian and Emirati professional mixed martial artist. He started wrestling and developing a strong foundation as a freestyle wrestler. Chimaev has been a successful runner and three-time Swedish national champion. His fascinating achievements are highlighted in his wrestling career. He started MMA in 2018, achieving a better record of accomplishments.

However, Khamzat Chimaev is skilled in freestyle wrestling, MMA, and amateur performance. He has started ten consecutive wins from 2018 to 2021 in his MMA career. Later, Chimaev had another winning streak from 2022 to 2025, reflecting an impressive record. In the past year’s analysis, he has built his MMA career strongly without loss. Khamzat Chimaev will show his potential against their opponent in the upcoming event.

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland was born into a difficult situation in his family environment. He has progressed through his career growth and development in MMA. Strickland is an American professional mixed martial artist, and his nickname is “Tarzan.” Sean Strickland began his professional MMA career in 2008 and remains an active contender. He began with 15 consecutive victories from 2008 to 2014, reflecting an impressive performance.

Later, Strickland suffered an early loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio through decision on February 22, 2015. After a loss, Sean Strickland’s performances were inconsistent from 2015 to 2018. Strickland has fainted during submission attempts, with many losses in mixed martial arts.

Event Details for UFC 328

Main Event: Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland

Date: May 9, 2026 (Saturday)

Time: 09:00 PM ET | 06:00 PM PT | 06:30 AM IST (Next Day)

Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, in the United States.

Where can I watch Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland?

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Watch UFC 328 featuring Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland, or you’ll miss out on it! Every weekend, thrilling moments are available on the TNT Sports app, whenever you need them.

Fans in India want to see the UFC 328 event air on the Sony Live app. The UFC 328 is an exciting night of action on Sony Sports Network, so don’t miss out on the action.

The UFC 328 event will be available on Foxtel and Kayo for UFC fans in Australia.

Fans can access the main card of UFC 328, the headline between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, live on Discovery+. The event will also be available across multiple streaming platforms.

The UFC 328 event will feature an intense battle between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland in the MMA world. In the co-main event, Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira will fight for the flyweight title.

The UFC 328 event, featuring Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, will air on ESPN+. A thrilling matchup for UFC fans in the middleweight bout could impact standings and future opportunities for fighters’ careers.

The wonderful middleweight title showdown at UFC 328 in Canada will likely deliver an enthralling show of the sport’s peak.

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Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland Fight Card

Main Card

Khamzat Chimaev (c) and Sean Strickland (Middleweight)

Joshua Van (c) vs. Tatsuro Taira (Flyweight)

Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta (Heavyweight)

Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley (Welterweight)

King Green vs Jeremy Stephens (Lightweight)

Prelims

Ateba Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz (Middleweight)

Joel Álvarez vs Yaroslav Amosov (Welterweight)

Grant Dawson vs Mateusz Rębecki (Lightweight)

Jim Miller vs Jared Gordon (Lightweight)

Early Prelims

Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio (Middleweight)

Pat Sabatini vs. William Gomis (Featherweight)

Baisangur Susurkaev vs Djorden Santos (Middleweight)

Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa (Flyweight)

Khamzat Chimaev Stats and Bio

Nationality	Russian and Emirati
Age	32
Height	6’2”
Reach	75”
Total Fights	15
Record	15-0-0 (6 Knockouts)

Sean Strickland Stats and Bio

Nationality	American
Age	35
Height	6’1”
Reach	76”
Total Fights	37
Record	30-7-0 (12 Knockouts)

Joshua Van Stats and Bio

Nationality	Burmese and American
Age	24
Height	5’5”
Reach	65”
Total Fights	18
Record	16-2-0 (8 Knockouts)

Tatsuro Taira Stats and Bio

Nationality	Japanese
Age	26
Height	5’7”
Reach	70”
Total Fights	19
Record	18-1-0 (6 Knockouts)

Prediction

Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland

The UFC 328 features a middleweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. Khamzat Chimaev has an uncomfortable pace of exchanges with relentless forward movement. He has a major advantage, powerful striking and wrestling, making him versatile. In previous matchups, Chimaev has ended winning streaks with a knockout or a submission. His confidence is evident in his fearless approach against Sean Strickland at the upcoming event, which could create dangerous moments.

Khamzat Chimaev has showcased a knockout or submission to make another win in the upcoming fight end quickly. He has excellent skills and a fearless approach that gives him a psychological edge. A major risk to his career is shifting between welterweight and middleweight challenges with inconsistent performances. Khamzat Chimaev has better health and stabilized his performances, with a major contribution to his durability.

On the flip side, Sean Strickland has a jab-heavy style built on precision inside the octagon. He is skilled at rolling with punches and maintaining a high safety margin to execute smart work. Strickland has a major weakness in his durability and speed. He has a big win with a decision, contributing to his notable achievements in MMA.

Strickland has a volume-based striking approach to maintain consecutive victories in MMA. Sean Strickland has shown impressive recent form. Based on their performances, Sean Strickland will take a victory in the anticipated event.

The Pick: Sean Strickland via Decision

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira

The co-main event of UFC 328 features Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira competing for the flyweight title. Joshua Van was born into a family that had relocated during his childhood. He started his MMA career in 2021 and is ranked a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Van is a unique first fighter from Myanmar, a Burmese-American professional mixed martial artist. He is currently competing in the flyweight division of the UFC.

Joshua Van is the UFC’s first Asian-born male champion at the UFC 323 event. He began 2021 with two consecutive wins in his mixed martial arts career. In his career, he suffered his first loss to Devon Jackson through submission on December 19, 2021. After a loss, Van has delivered consistent performances from 2022 to 2025, reflecting an impressive form record.

Conversely, Tatsuro Taira grew up playing baseball at the school level. Taira has trained as a mixed martial artist and earned notable achievements. He began his MMA career in 2018 and built a 16-fight consecutive winning streak through 2024. Tatsuro Taira has only one early loss, against Brandon Royval, via decision at Fight of the Night.

However, Tatsuro Taira has two successive wins in 2025 and remains a rising contender in the flyweight division. Taira has an impressive winning streak, with only one loss in his MMA career. He is confidently battling Joshua Van in the upcoming co-main card. But Joshua Van is well known for his knockout ability, one of his major strengths. As a result, Joshua Van will never give his belt to Taira at the UFC 328 event.

The Pick: Joshua Van via KO/TKO.