Preview: UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland preview - prediction, tale of the tape, career records

The Prudential Center in New Jersey is gearing up to host UFC 328 this Saturday night as Khamzat Chimaev defends his middleweight title against Sean Strickland.

Regarded as one of the most heated rivalries in MMA, bragging rights will be just as important as the championship belt, with both men looking to settle their long-held beef.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland preview

Chimaev not only enters this fight as the defending champion, but the Chechen superstar is also the overwhelming favourite according to the bookmakers.

The 32-year-old climbed to the top of the middleweight division with a dominant victory over Dricus du Plessis last August – arguably one of the most one-sided title victories in recent years.

Chimaev utilised his supreme wrestling skills to smother DDP for five successive rounds, extending his professional MMA record to 15-0, with nine of those wins coming in the UFC.

The current middleweight champion already boasts an incredible CV, picking up wins over Gilbert Burns, Kevin Hilland, Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker.

Borz will now be looking to add Strickland’s name to the list as he attempts to end one of the most heated rivalries in the UFC since Conor McGregor’s intense showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Strickland is a former middleweight champion, and the American will be looking to reach the pinnacle of the division for the second time in his career this Saturday night.

The 35-year-old first tasted UFC gold back in 2023 when he sensationally defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision to claim the championship belt.

Successive defeats to Du Plessis knocked Strickland back, though he earned another title opportunity with a devastating victory over Anthony Hernandez last February.

This would not be a normal Strickland event without controversy, and Tarzan has certainly delivered plenty of drama with a series of controversial comments about his opponent.

The rivalry between Chimaev and Strickland has been building for years, and the pre-fight press conference only built further tension as both men traded verbal blows.

In fact, the explosive tension surrounding Saturday’s clash has sparked a visible transformation in UFC boss Dana White, effectively snapping him out of his recent apathy and reigniting a fire that many thought had flickered out.

Tale of the tape

Career records

We say: Chimaev to defend middleweight belt

There is a reason why Chimaev is favoured heavily by the bookmakers, and it all comes down to one thing – his elite wrestling ability.

The defending champion completely dominated DDP in his last outing, and most are expecting Chimaev to follow the exact same game plan against Strickland.