Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson sees one narrow, dangerous path for Sean Strickland against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, and it comes from one of the most famous finishes in UFC history.
Chimaev defends the UFC middleweight title against Strickland in Newark after both men officially made 185 pounds. Fight week has already been heated, with Chimaev kicking Strickland during their UFC 328 faceoff, Strickland questioning the champion’s weigh-in, and Dustin Poirier later saying Chimaev’s scale moment looked rushed.
Thompson, a longtime UFC welterweight and one of the sport’s most accomplished strikers, believes Strickland may be preparing for Chimaev’s first rush. He compared the possible opening to Jorge Masvidal’s five-second flying-knee knockout over Ben Askren at UFC 239, the fastest KO in UFC history.
“I think, I predict we may have another Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren on our hands.”
Thompson’s read was specific. He pointed to Chimaev’s habit of closing distance immediately, showing something upstairs, then diving into a takedown before his opponent can settle.
“All right, check it out. Wow. Wow. Wow. Okay, so Khamzat, every time he comes out, he’ll either fake high-five, he’ll throw like one punch and then shoot immediately. Right, so I think Strickland’s got something up that he’s waiting for. Of course if he doesn’t get it, it’s gonna be a bad day for Strickland, but he’s got that one instant where he can make it a one-hitter quitter.”
Here’s Thompson’s full breakdown:
Wonderboy's wild prediction for Chimaev x Strickland:
“We may have another Jorge Masvidal x Ben Askren on our hands.
Khamzat either fakes a high-five, throws one punch, and then shoots immediately… I think Strickland’s got something waiting for him.”
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Thompson Says Strickland’s Window Could Come Right Away
Thompson did not frame Strickland as having a long list of clean answers. Chimaev is unbeaten, a freestyle wrestler, and the current UFC middleweight champion. If he gets Strickland reacting backward and finishes the first takedown, the fight can quickly become a grind.
But Thompson believes the same urgency that makes Chimaev dangerous could also create the opening Strickland needs.
“Immediately he’ll go back up and shoot immediately. I mean first round, right off the bat, he’s shooting. I think he did it to Kevin. He just goes like he was gonna high-five him and every fight he does that.”
When asked if that kind of counter may be Strickland’s only hope, Thompson stayed with the same idea.
“I think so, and just catches him. Finally, yeah, just run at him. A lot of times a wrestler, as they go back, they fall back to what comes natural to them, right? So you run at him, they get freaked out, they just change level like they’re gonna shoot.”
That is the risk for Strickland. If he guesses wrong, Chimaev likely puts him on the mat and starts forcing the kind of fight he wants. If he guesses right, the first exchange could change everything before the champion ever settles into top control.
The official UFC 328 weigh-in results have Chimaev and Strickland both at 185 pounds, so the title fight is locked in. Thompson’s prediction adds one more layer to a main event already built on tension, pressure, and a very real question of what happens when Chimaev shoots first.
