now Chimaev vs. Strickland is official for UFC 328 - AS USA
The Chechen fighter will make his first title defense against the former champion of the division on May 9 at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
en.as.comHere’s the latest on UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland based on recent reporting.
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Result and outcome: Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision to retain/regain the middleweight title at UFC 328 in Newark on May 9, 2026. The judges’ scores were 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 in favor of Strickland. This marked Strickland’s return to champion status after a prior title run.
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Main event context: The headline bout was Chimaev’s first title defense after winning the middleweight crown earlier in 2025, with Strickland stepping in as a top challenger. Post-fight interviews indicated Chimaev was considering a move up to light heavyweight, and there was strong interest in an immediate rematch from his camp.
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Card highlights: In addition to the title fight, UFC 328 featured Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira for the flyweight title, plus several notable bouts including Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes Acosta, Grant Dawson vs Mateusz Rebecki, and Jim Miller vs Jared Gordon. The card also included other prelims and early prelims with a mix of veterans and rising contenders.
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Fight week and coverage: Leading up to the event, multiple outlets ran previews, odds, and breakdowns for the main event and supporting fights. ESPN provided live fight coverage and post-fight notes, including Strickland’s readiness for a quick turnaround and potential rematch discussions.
If you’d like, I can pull direct match-by-match results, round-by-round scoring, or pull quotes from post-fight interviews. I can also assemble a quick recap focused on specific aspects (striking stats, grappling control, or referee decisions) or compare this outcome to prior title defenses in Chimaev’s reign.
Citations:
- UFC 328 results and main event recap[1]
- Post-fight context and rematch talks[2]
- Additional fight coverage and live coverage notes[4]