UFC 328 Predictions and Best Bets for Chimaev vs. Strickland

One of the most heated rivalries in modern UFC comes to a head at UFC 328, with the UFC middleweight championship on the line. UFC 328 takes place on May 9 from the Prudential Center in Newark.

In the main event, Khamzat Chimaev defends the UFC middleweight championship against Sean Strickland.

Chimaev is undefeated in his MMA career, having debuted with the UFC back in 2020. This marks his first defense of the middleweight title since claiming it by defeating Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.

Strickland is just 2-2 in his last four but has won five of his most recent seven fights. He enters this fight off a finish of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February. Strickland is a former middleweight champion, having defeated Israel Adesanya for the belt at UFC 293 in one of the UFC’s biggest upsets. Strickland, however, dropped the title to Du Plessis at UFC 297, and he lost their UFC 312 rematch.

Gold will be on the line in the co-main event as well, as Joshua Van defends the UFC flyweight championship against Tatsuro Taira.

After becoming one of the UFC’s standout fighters of 2025, Van challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the title at UFC 323 in December, winning following an injury to Pantoja seconds into the fight. Taira, meanwhile, earned this title shot by finishing former champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 323.

The rest of the UFC 328 main card sees Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley, and King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens.

KHAMZAT CHIMAEV VS SEAN STRICKLAND

The MMA community is talking about Chimaev kicking Strickland at the UFC 328 press conference. UFC CEO and President Dana White says it’s the most intense rivalry he’s seen in a while. Some, like White, have compared this feud’s rivalry to Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. Some feel it’s a little ridiculous, but here’s a point to make – that fight ended up being one-sided, and there’s a chance this one will as well.

The heatedness may mean that we see some trading between the two. But both are excellent wrestlers, and wrestling was Chimaev’s key to claiming the gold in the first place. Strickland may have strong takedown defense, but Chimaev’s relentless takedown pacing, combined with his style of wrestling, means he won’t be able to stop Chimaev all the time. The odds feel Chimaev will submit Strickland, but Strickland has never been submitted before. It’s more likely Chimaev dominates 25 minutes than that happening.

BET: Chimaev via decision (FanDuel: +330)

JOEL ALVAREZ VS YAROSLAV AMOSOV

Another grappler’s paradise? These two are fairly new to the UFC’s welterweight division, both competing in just their second UFC welterweight bout. Joel Alvarez is on a nice winning streak, while Yaroslav Amosov had a successful first-round submission victory in his UFC debut against Neil Magny.

Once again, this one is going to come down to the wrestling. Both are tough and strong in this skillset, and it will ultimately come down to whose skills on the mat are better. Regardless if you lean the UFC veteran or the former Bellator champ, it’s very plausible this one goes to the cards.

BET: Fight to be won via decision (DraftKings & BetMGM: +110)

PAT SABATINI VS WILLIAM GOMIS

This isn’t meant to be a knock on William Gomis, but he just doesn’t have the experience compared to Pat Sabatini. New Jersey’s own Sabatini fits the bill of this betting list, being another fantastic wrestler. He might give Gomis a hard time with his pressure, especially if the fight gets to the ground. That said, Gomis hasn’t been submitted in his career. There’s always the chance for a first, but the oddsmakers feel more confident in a decision than a submission for a Sabatini win. And they’re probably correct here.

BET: Sabatini via decision (FanDuel: +190)