Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland: UFC 328 Tonight in Newark — Full Preview, Odds, and Wild Press Conference Chaos

UFC 328 is happening tonight, Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main event pits undefeated UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev against former titleholder Sean Strickland in one of the most personally bitter matchups the UFC has ever produced. The press conference already turned physical. The octagon is next.

UFC 328 — Date, Time, and How to Watch Chimaev vs. Strickland

UFC 328 is being held at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Early prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET, prelims follow at 7 p.m. ET, and the main card gets underway at 9 p.m. ET — all streaming live on Paramount+.

The Chimaev vs. Strickland main event is scheduled as a five-round UFC middleweight championship bout, with the flyweight title co-main event between Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira also on the card.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland — The Fight Breakdown

Khamzat Chimaev enters as a massive -600 betting favorite, with Sean Strickland coming in as a +430 underdog. The champion is 15-0 as a professional and has never been taken down in his MMA career, holding a 100% takedown defense rate.

Chimaev won the middleweight belt from Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 last August in the main event, beginning his first UFC title defense tonight against Strickland.

Strickland, 35, was a technical master in his last fight — a TKO win over Anthony Hernandez on February 21, 2026. He is a former UFC middleweight champion who won the title in one of the greatest upsets in UFC history, beating Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 as a +500 underdog before losing it via split decision to Du Plessis.

Khamzat Chimaev Kicks Sean Strickland at UFC 328 Press Conference

As Chimaev and Strickland prepared to go face-to-face at Thursday's press conference, UFC CEO Dana White implored them to "be good, guys." What happened next was anything but. Chimaev threw a powerful front kick that connected with Strickland's lower body, sending Strickland stumbling back as chaos erupted on stage.

White, who was standing between the fighters, later admitted he was caught off guard. "I had Khamzat's arms, and I didn't think he'd kick him. I didn't think he was going to do anything," White confirmed. White then revealed the kick appeared to connect in an uncomfortable location, stating: "I think in the nuts… The security guy from that angle got in the way of the kick."

Chimaev explained his decision to kick Strickland after the presser: "If I didn't stop him, he was gonna say more and more bad things. I just tried to stop him. If I let him speak, he is gonna speak about my mother, my father, everyone, I needed to do something."

Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev — The War of Words

The back-and-forth war of words at the press conference lasted nearly 30 minutes, with both fighters eating up the majority of the event with insults. Security was always standing close by to ensure nobody charged across the stage. Strickland mocked Chimaev's close ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and brought up Chimaev's temporary retirement consideration after a serious COVID-19 infection.

Chimaev escalated the ugliness by targeting Strickland's well-documented childhood trauma with an abusive father, saying: "Look at this guy, his dad beat him up every day, f*ck him up, and he has some mental problems." Chimaev added: "He will be dead in two days."

The tension ran so high that armed police were present on stage alongside UFC security. Even before fight week, Strickland had threatened to "pull out my gun" if he encountered Chimaev and his training partners — a statement that led to an increased police presence at the fighters' hotel throughout the week.

Dana White on UFC 328 — The "Sociopath" Admission

White made an unexpected and candid admission during the press conference. "Hey, according to my therapist, I'm a sociopath, so why would I not want to have a face-off here today?" White shouted to the crowd, receiving a large cheer. He then allowed the two fighters to stand face-to-face — a decision that lasted only eight seconds before Chimaev launched the kick.

Chimaev vs. Strickland Odds and Predictions — Who Wins Tonight

Most analysts agree Chimaev wins, but the strongest betting play may not be on the finish. Strickland is too tough and too defensively polished to get blown out early — he has been stopped just once in his entire UFC career. Chimaev does not possess that style of knockout power on the feet, making a five-round grind the most likely outcome even with Chimaev taking the victory.

Chimaev to beat Strickland via submission is the most likely winning method according to oddsmakers, priced at +105. In Chimaev's 15 professional fights, only one has gone the distance — his most recent fight against Du Plessis. Strickland, by contrast, has had four of his last five fights go five rounds.

Prediction markets give Chimaev approximately an 83% chance of winning tonight's title defense. The bad blood, the kick, the police presence, and 25 minutes of violence waiting to happen — UFC 328 is tonight.