Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland are set for their first in-person encounter ahead of UFC 328, meeting Thursday at the official pre-fight press conference.
The UFC 328 presser is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Thursday, with the promotion bringing in extra security and keeping the fighters separated from normal pre-fight activities due to concerns about volatility between Chimaev and Strickland.
Chimaev comes into the event as the reigning middleweight champion, making his first title defense after defeating Dricus du Plessis in August to claim the belt. Strickland enters UFC 328 heading into his fourth title fight, riding momentum from a finish of Anthony Hernandez in his most recent bout.
Also on deck for UFC 328, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van will defend his title against Tatsuro Taira. Their matchup was originally scheduled for UFC 327 in April but was postponed after Van suffered a minor injury, and has now been rebooked for this card.
