Khamzat Chimaev will put his middleweight championship on the line against former title challenger Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328. The fight is scheduled for May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. UFC President Dana White officially announced the matchup on Thursday.
Chimaev is returning to action for the first time since capturing the middleweight belt in August 2025 with a dominant decision over Dricus du Plessis. The 15-0 fighter has impressed fans since joining the UFC, earning victories over Robert Whittaker, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman along the way. After competing at both welterweight and middleweight, Chimaev now seems firmly established at 185 pounds.
Strickland enters the fight after a strong showing against Anthony Hernandez in February. Known for being outspoken, Strickland had previously suffered two title fight losses to Du Plessis but quickly bounced back. After defeating Hernandez, he called for a fight with Chimaev and now has the opportunity to compete for the championship.
BAD BLOOD@KChimaev vs @SStricklandMMA collide with the Middleweight Title up for grabs!
[ #UFC328 | LIVE MAY 9 on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/IKbnOqMRq1
— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2026
BIG FIGHTS ARE COMING 👀#UFC328 is going to be WILD
[ LIVE MAY 9 on @ParamountPlus | @Visit_NJ | @PruCenter ] pic.twitter.com/TsX8j6Sehj
— UFC (@ufc) March 13, 2026
Co-main and other key fights
The UFC 328 card also features a heavyweight co-main event between Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Volkov, ranked second in the heavyweight division, is coming off a split decision win over Jailton Almeida at UFC 321. Cortes-Acosta, ranked fourth, has won three straight fights, most recently defeating Derrick Lewis in the second round at UFC 324 in January.
Other notable bouts on the main card include Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley in a welterweight match, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz rematching Bogdan Guskov after their fight at UFC 323 ended in a majority draw, and King Green facing veteran lightweight Jeremy Stephens in the card opener.
With Chimaev defending his title and a stacked card supporting the event, UFC 328 promises high-stakes matchups for fans in Newark and around the world.
