UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland — Tonight in Newark, Full Fight Card, Odds, and Press Conference Chaos

UFC 328 is live tonight, Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey — and it is shaping up to be one of the most personal, explosive nights in UFC history. Undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev puts his belt on the line against former champion and bitter rival Sean Strickland in a grudge match that already turned physical before a single punch was thrown in the octagon.

UFC 328 Tonight — Date, Time, and How to Watch

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 a five-round UFC middleweight championship bout and is the final fight of the night.

UFC 328 Full Fight Card

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland — The Storyline

Chimaev, 31, is 15-0 and fighting out of the United Arab Emirates by way of Chechnya. He holds victories over former UFC champions Dricus du Plessis, Robert Whittaker, and Kamaru Usman. He won the middleweight title from du Plessis at UFC 319 last August and tonight makes his first championship defense.

Strickland, 35, is 30-7 and fighting out of Corona, California. He has delivered memorable victories over Anthony Hernandez, Israel Adesanya, and Nassourdine Imavov, and is aiming to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion by handing Chimaev the first loss of his professional career.

UFC 328 Press Conference — Chimaev Kicks Strickland

As Chimaev and Strickland prepared to go face-to-face at Thursday's UFC 328 press conference, Dana White implored them to "be good, guys." Eight seconds later, 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 with his hands on Chimaev's arms, later admitted he was caught completely off guard. "I had Khamzat's arms, and I didn't think he'd kick him," White said. He then revealed the kick appeared to land in a notably uncomfortable location: "I think in the nuts."

The press conference itself lasted nearly 30 minutes of nonstop verbal warfare. Strickland mocked Chimaev's close ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and brought up Chimaev nearly retiring after a serious COVID-19 infection. Chimaev retaliated by targeting Strickland's well-documented childhood trauma involving an abusive father, saying: "Look at this guy, his dad beat him up every day."

Dana White made a candid and unexpected admission during the press conference, shouting to the crowd: "Hey, according to my therapist, I'm a sociopath, so why would I not want to have a face-off here today?" He then allowed the two fighters to stand face-to-face — a decision that lasted less than 10 seconds before the kick landed.

Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev — Odds and Predictions

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

Most analysts agree Chimaev wins, but believe Strickland is too tough and too defensively polished to be finished early. He has been stopped just once in his entire UFC career. A five-round decision or late finish by Chimaev is the most widely predicted outcome heading into tonight's main event.

Chimaev winning by submission is the most likely single method according to oddsmakers, priced at +105. In his 15 professional fights, only one has gone the distance — his most recent championship win over du Plessis. Strickland, by contrast, has had four of his last five fights go the full five rounds.

The octagon is set. The bad blood is real. UFC 328 results will be updated as the main card concludes tonight from Newark.