UFC 328 Results: Strickland Vs. Chimaev

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage of UFC 328, headlined by Khamzat Chimaev versus Sean Strickland and emanating from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

Chimaev will be defending the UFC Middleweight Championship for the first time since claiming it from Dricus Du Plessis in August last year, looking to extend his unblemished 15-0 record to 16-0 in MMA – he is 9-0 in UFC specifically. He will be fighting a personal rival, someone he trained with at Xtreme Couture, and a former Middleweight Champion in his own right in Strickland. 

Strickland won the title from Israel Adesanya in September 2023, losing it in his first defense the following January to Du Plessis, and failing to recapture the title in February last year. He beat Anthony Hernandez in February to secure the fight this weekend. 

Chimaev's will not be the only title on the line, as Joshua Van will be defending his UFC Flyweight Championship against Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event. They were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 327, but the fight was postponed after Van sustained an injury. 

Prior to that, the main card will kick off with lightweight action between King Green and Jeremy Stephens, followed by Sean Brady versus Joaquin Buckley at welterweight, and then a heavyweight bout between Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes Acosta. 

UFC 328 will stream via Paramount+ in the US with the main card due to begin at 9 PM ET. The early preliminaries begin at 5 PM ET and the preliminaries begin at 7 PM ET. 

Early Prelims:

• Flyweight: Jose Ochoa def. Clayton Carpenter via Unanimous Decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27)
• Middleweight: Baisangur Susurkaev def. Djorden Santos via Submission in Round Three
• Featherweight: Pat Sabatini def. William Gomis via Unanimous Decision (30-27; 30-27; 29-28)
• Middleweight: Roman Kopylov def. Marco Tulio via Unanimous Decision (29-28; 29-28; 29-28)

Prelims: 

• Lightweight: Jim Miller def. Jared Gordon via Submission in Round One
• Lightweight: Grant Dawson def. Mateuz Rebecki via Submission in Round Three
• Welterweight: Yaroslav Amosov def. Joel Alvarez via Submission in Round Two 
• Middleweight: Ateba Gautier def. Osman Diaz via TKO in Round Two

The first round begins and King Green almost slips on a teep before slipping an overhand from Jeremy Stephens. Stephens catches Green with a left hook as he tries to come forward. Green rubs his head. 

Green throws a kick to the body and Stephens comes in for the clinch. Green approaching this casually with a low-to-no guard, stings Stephens with left hands and starts to open up before landing a low blow to prompt an official time out. 

Green gets away with a warning and no point deduction. The fight resumes and Stephens is coming forward, Green stings Stephens with straights and kicks before taking him down. He's throwing all kinds of shots, punches and elbows, at Stephens on the ground. Stephens looking for the Kimura lock now, but Green manages to slip it and sinks more elbows in. Green cinches in the rear choke and gets the submission. 

King Green def. Jeremy Stephens via Submission in Round One

In the post-fight interview, Green addresses Dana White and says he wants his bonus. 

A package plays between fights highlighting Chris Weidman's career ahead of his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026. 

Round one begins and Joaquin Buckley rushes to close the distance on Sean Brady. Brady defends well and manages to frustrate Buckley's opening offense, coming back with good left shots and clinching both times. 

Brady works Buckley to the ground and on his back, starts to sink right hooks in and now looks for the full mount. Raining down punches now, and every time Buckley looks to move away he moves with him and sinks some more in. Brady turns his attention to look for the Kimura, but Buckley manages to escape it. 

Brady continues to look for the Kimura as the ten-second clapper goes and the round ends with him on top. 

Round two begins and Brady goes for a headkick that swings and misses. Buckley throws a front kick but Brady catches him, goes to the waist, and brings him to the ground. Brady looks for the Kimura again but continues to wrestle with Buckley, getting into the mount and working what looks to be an arm triangle. 

Brady sinks in punches from the mounted position, but Buckley manages to fight his way to his feet. Brady takes him down on a kick yet again, laying in more punches against the cage. Brady continues to swap elbows with hammerfists as he looks for a ground and pound finish. Buckley is blocking most of these but they all add up. 

The elbows start to get through as the ten-second clapper goes off but the round comes to an end without a finish. 

Round three begins and Buckley has been given strict instructions to use his hands. Brady shoots for a single leg takedown, Buckley defends. Brady shoots for a double-leg, and he gets it. 

Brady maintains control over Buckley on the ground for minutes, laying punches in as he goes. The round and the fight comes to end with Brady throwing punches in bunches, no finish but a definite win across the board. 

Sean Brady def. Joaquin Buckley via Unanimous Decision (30-25; 30-25; 30-27)

Round one begins and Alexander Volkov is leaning behind his kicks, keeping Waldo Cortes Acosta back. Acosta still stalks and catches a right front kick, defending well against the kicks afterward as he looks for an opening. 

Acosta opens up with a right overhand but Volkov manages to slip it, continues to throw leg kicks but Acosta comes forward again. Volkov continues to sink kicks into the leading leg of Acosta, who is looking for the big shots to no avail. 

Acosta comes in and swings wildly, wobbling Volkov momentarily before pulling away from the receipts. But the round comes to an end without any further drama. 

Round two starts with Acosta more confident to close the space on Volkov. Volkov continuing to lay kicks into the legs and moving out of range. Acosta comes forward and rocks Volkov with a right overhand to the chin, prompting a stand-up exchange that sees Acosta hurt as well. Acosta invites Volkov in and he complies, but neither make use of the exchange to any significance. 

Volkov is bleeding now, more than happy to stay back and make use of the kicks. Acosta comes forward with a flurry but Volkov pushes him back with well placed jabs, and the round comes to an end. 

Round three begins and Acosta comes forward, Volkov resting on the outside and measuring for kicks. It takes 35 seconds and he throws his first one to the body, comes forward with two attempted to the head. Acosta comes forward with another flurry upstairs but the referee calls official time out for an eye poke. 

The fight resumes and Acosta continues to come forward, but Volkov comes back with a jab which disturbs the eye and resumes sitting on the outside behind kicks. Volkov throws another sharp jab but Acosta throws two for himself, begins to come forward and wobble the head of a notably fatigued Volkov. 

Volkov throws a kick and Acosta comes in for the clinch. They grapple while standing but Acosta breaks it with a knee to the body. Volkov breathing heavily now. Acosta grazes Volkov with another right overhand. 

Acosta points at the ground and continues to throw, wobbling and putting Volkov into a retreat as the fight comes to an end. 

Alexander Volkov def. Waldo Cortes Acosta via Unanimous Decision (30-27; 29-28; 29-28)

After the fight, Volkov says he wants a shot at the title and whoever wins between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira. 

Round one begins and Tatsuro Taira throws the first jab into air, Joshua Van slips a few more before getting taken down by Taira at speed. Van works to get the butterfly guard but Taira slips to the side control and takes the neck for a guillotine. 

Van stays composed and the stand-up resumes, now he is coming forward with snapping jabs. Taira comes forward through a punch to get another takedown against the cage. Van content to sit up against the cage as Taira looks for an arm lock. Van gets back to his feet as Taira maintains control against the cage. 

Taira puts Van down on the floor again. Round comes to an end as Van fights his way back to his feet. 

Round two begins with Van walking Taira down. Taira comes back with jabs upstairs and then shoots for the legs again, Van defends well against the cage. Taira gets a knee instead of putting Van down on the ground. Van comes back with a stiff left followed by a right, repeating the latter to wobble Taira for the first time in this fight. 

Taira shoots and gets another takedown, sprawls on top of Van. Every time Taira tries to posture up he is opening himself up to grappling and throwing from Van from the bottom. Van tries to slip out and runs the risk of a D'Arce, but Van still manages to get to his feet. He drops Taira with an overhand and goes for the ground and pound, but Taira manages to survive the round. 

Round three begins and Van snaps Taira's head back with a jab. Two more. He get another in with the right now. Van peppers Taira with a right uppercut and left hook, defends a double-leg and jabs him away. Van defends another takedown attempt with a knee and continues to light up Taira's face, coming forward with stiff jabs, stepping in with a right uppercut. 

Van drops Taira with a jab and throws shot after shot on the ground, still no finish. Van goes for the rear choke as Taira tries to escape, but Taira still manages to survive and gets to his feet. Van stalking Taira now, peppering with singular, accurate shots. 

Taira is trying to fight back, throwing jabs and threatening the takedown. He connects with a quick flurry, goes for another double-leg and pushes Van against the cage. Van isn't going down but Taira manages to wrestle him down to a knee. Van gets back up, Taira is still wrestling and manages to slam Van to the ground. 

Taira with the output now as the round comes to an end. 

Round four begins and Taira stings Van with a calf kick, comes forward but gets caught as he does, goes in for the clinch, gets the takedown. Taira is on top, Van has the butterfly guard, and Taira is grappling to limited success while sinking some shots into the body. Van tries to get to his feet, Taira gets him in a triangle choke. Van manages to slip it as Taira adjusts. 

Van now getting the better of the stand-up with jabs. Taira shoots for another takedown but Van defends it and gets a knee in. Taira grappling Van against the cage now. Van jabs his way out of it again as the ten-second clapper goes, and there will be a fifth round in this fight. 

Round five begins and Taira comes forward with shots upstairs that don't really land, Van coming back with a more accurate jab. Taira misses a leg kick and gets a punch in return, shoots for another takedown but Van defends it. Van continuing to combine jabs with uppercuts. Taira shoots again but Van get out again. 

Van has Taira against the cage hurt, continues to pair right hooks with lefts, Taira drops and the fight is over. 

Joshua Van def. Tatsuro Taira via TKO in Round Five to retain the UFC Flyweight Championship

Joe Rogan highlights Alexandre Pantoja in the crowd and says he will likely be next for Van, Van tells him to get his s*** together and they can run it back. 

Newark Police are in the Octagon ahead of the fight to ensure nothing untoward goes down. Khamzat Chimaev has not taken his eyes off of Sean Strickland. 

Round one begins with a glove touch and Chimaev shoots early, getting the takedown against the cage. Chimaev with the waist control as Strickland fights to get him off him, now Chimaev has the back. Chimaev hooks with the left as he continues wrestling, goes for the rear choke. Strickland manages to avoid it now. Strickland trying to roll through constantly and Chimaev rides with him, constantly going for the choke. 

Strickland gets to his feet and his slammed back to the ground. Chimaev has a small cut on the bridge of his nose. But he cinches in the rear choke anyway, Strickland just managing to defend it as the round winds down. 

Round two begins and Strickland starts to open up with lefts and rights. Chimaev catches him with a right hand. Strickland absorbs shots to the body to land a significant right hook. Continues to pair slapping jabs with a right overhand. 

Strickland getting the better of the stand-up exchange for the moment, Chimaev shoots for a takedown, but Strickland defends it and puts Chimaev on his back. Strickland fails to get anything from it and lets him back up. Chimaev shoots, doesn't get it, and rolls onto his back inviting Strickland on. 

Strickland obliges, mounting and going for the ground and pound. The round comes to an end with Strickland at the advantage on top of Chimaev. 

Round three begins with an exchange of punches. Strickland is hitting gloves but Chimaev swings and misses. Chimaev snaps Strickland's head back with a jab. Trying to replicate that but just being swatted away by Strickland. 

Chimaev insisting on throwing shots upstairs and still just getting jabbed in the face as he comes forward. A "F*** you Khamzat" chant has broken out. 

Chimaev finding some success with the jab pushing Strickland back, and now Strickland's nose is beginning to stream. Chimaev forces a slip from Strickland with a right overhand. The round comes to an end. 

Round four begins with Chimaev continuing to come forward. The jabs are now being coupled with shots to the body, a slapping leg kick, and a right overhand that wobbles Strickland. 

He is multiplying these shots on Strickland with the level changes, a jab followed by a calf kick. Strickland is still landing and gets some jabs off on the face. Both men are getting busted up here. Chimaev lands another good shot and Strickland is retreating somewhat.

Chimaev is really working the body here, hurting Strickland before looking to go upstairs. He shoots at long last, gets the takedown. Strickland gets to his feet, back down to his knees, and Chimaev fights to retain the waist control behind him as the round comes to an end. 

Round five begins and Chimaev shoots for the early takedown, Strickland defends well against the cage. Strickland tries to roll Chimaev onto the floor but doesn't get it, Chimaev goes back to the control but the stand-up resumes. 

Strickland going back to the jab now to create something. Chimaev keeps landing rights to the body, sapping the air. He continues with the gameplan but Strickland is starting to fire with the right now. Chimaev laying into a leading leg with kicks. Strickland gets the distance with a teep, continues to find the chin with the jab. 

Chimaev shoots for the takedown and gets control of Strickland from behind by the waist. Strickland fighting with everything to stay up on his feet. Strickland gets away with 30 seconds to go. Chimaev with a right overhand, left connects. Strickland opening up with the ten second clapper but the fight comes to an end with no finish. 

Sean Strickland def. Khamzat Chimaev via Unanimous Decision (48-47; 47-48; 48-47) to win the UFC Middleweight Championship

Strickland takes the microphone and apologizes to his American fans, his Christian fans, and his Muslim fans for what he said in the build-up to the fight. He said he should set a better example building the fights.