UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and former titleholder Sean Strickland closed out UFC 328 fight week with a tense final staredown at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins.
The rivals, set for Chimaev’s first title defense in Saturday’s main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, went face to face with security on high alert. Extra precautions followed a kick thrown at Thursday’s press conference, adding edge to an already heated buildup.
The matchup is promoted as a main event grudge match, with longstanding bad blood between Chimaev and Strickland. Both fighters believe their brief past training sessions together give them an edge heading into the five-round clash.
UFC 328 takes place Sat., May 9, 2026, and will stream live on Paramount+. Other main card bouts listed for the event include Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira, Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley, and King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens.
