UFC 328 Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland Main Card Preview, Odds, Watch Info & FAQ

A massive 13 fight card is heading to New Jersey for UFC 328! Packed with 2 exciting title fights and a few other home town favorites the UFC has pulled out all the stops.

Not like they needed to do much to sell this card, as the Main Event is a full on grudge match in the middleweight division. Khamzat Chimaev will take on loud mouth Sean Strickland.

The bout has provided much entertainment for MMA fans as the trash talk has been tremendous. It should not overshadow the Co – Main though, as it features a huge Flyweight title bout as well.

Joshua Van will also look to make his first title defense when he takes on top prospect Tatsuro Taira. The UFC 328 card is stacked with action packed fights from start to finish.

We are a mere couple hours away from the action so lets not waste anymore time. Lets get right into a preview of the Main Card at UFC 328 live from Newark, New Jersey!

All odds presented by our Partner at LuckyRebel as of 5/9/2026 11:22 A.M

Check out the odds for the entire card at the best online sportsbooks available in the U.S.

Main Event: Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland Preview – Middleweight Championship

After a very eventful week of trash talk and media day, the wait is almost over for the headlining bout of UFC 328. A grudge match has been set between current champion Khamzat Chimaev and former champion Sean Strickland.

The former training partners have been trading verbal jabs all week. The press conference was filled with much of the same, added in a swift kick to the balls from Chimaev at the final face off.

Strickland's trash talk has gone to new levels and 100% getting under Chimaevs skin. There is real hate in this match up which should produce an all out war.

The title shot for Strickland is coming off a huge KO victory over decorated grappler Fluffy Hernandez. He was able to stuff the takedown attempts and pick apart Hernandez enroute to a KO victory.

The win put Strickland back in the win column after a few hard losses. The former champion was on the heels of a 2 fight losing streak, both in title fights.

Both losses came at the hands of former champion Dricus Du Plessis. The first match up, when Strickland originally lost the belt was much closer then the rematch.

Many fans thought Strickland was starting to see the decline of his career. In dramatic fashion he proved them wrong once again in his career.

Strickland is primarily a boxer but has a base in wrestling. He has made a career off walking forward and throwing real volume at his opponents to break them later in the rounds.

I mention Stricklands background in wrestling due to the high level wrestling of Chimaev. No one has ever truly tested Stricklands wrestling like Chimaev will tonight.

Will Strickland Reclaim His Title?

Khamzat Chimaev is carrying the momentum into the match up. The bout will mark Chimaev's first title defense after defeating Du Plessis to win the belt in August of 2025.

In the victory he showed off just how dominant his wrestling can be. Chimaev repeatedly took down and controlled Du Plessis throughout the fight.

Fans already knew about his wrestling prowess, what they did not know was if Chimaev had the cardio to do it for 5 rounds. He proved he most definitely can as Du Plessis is a high level wrestler in his own right.

It must be said that Du Plessis did not make Chimaev work that hard. Chimaev was able to hold him down and grind out the rounds as he struggled to get up.

Strickland will be much different, as he can be taken down yes but always works his way up to his feet. It will be interesting to see what this fight looks like if Strickland is able to consistently get up after being taken down.

The constant dragging to the mat is very tiresome and could truly test the cardio of Chimaev. One thing is for certain, it is that these guys are going out there for blood one way or another.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland Odds:

• Moneyline: (C) Khamzat Chimaev (-500) vs Sean Strickland (+375)
• Round Total: 3.5 Total Rounds – Over (+115) / Under (-135)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Khamzat Chimaev By Submission (-115)

Co – Main Event: (C) Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira Preview- Flyweight Championship

A highly anticipated 5 round championship headlining bout awaits MMA fans at UFC 328. Newly crowned Flyweight champion Joshua Van will defend his title for the first time against the highly touted prospect Tatsuro Taira.

Van has been a very active fighter since joining the UFC at just 21 years old. The prospect quickly asserted his dominance with 3 straight victories in a span of about 7 months.

At such a young age there were still lessons to be learned inside the cage. Van was no different as he made a mistake and was knocked out by Charles Johnson in his 4th UFC fight.

The knockout came after Van styled on Johnson and clearly won the first 2 rounds of the fight. It is safe to say Van learned from his mistakes as he has now gone on to win 6 straight bouts.

Including a title fight victory over former champion Alex Pantoja. Of course not without controversy, as the victory came by way of injury TKO when Pantoja snapped his arm by Van catching a kick.

Many MMA fans felt it was a fluke victory but Van feels differently, he believes he caused the injury. Since he has been acting like the true champion despite all the noise and I believe its for due reason.

Van now has 10 UFC bouts under his belt all before the age of 25. He has proven he belongs in the top of the division with slick boxing and counter punches.

Will Van Retain His Belt?

The cardio in his game is unmatched, looking just as fresh in the first round as he does in the 3rd. The grappling department has been the only question, and it will certainly be answered tonight with the high level grappling of Taira.

Tatsuro Taira is also a highly touted prospect that joined the UFC at just 22 years old. The Japanese prospect joined the UFC with a massive fan base already behind him.

Since he has proven he is ever more deserving of that praise now going 8-1 on his run with the UFC. The run included an early 6-0 start to his career, finishing 4 of those 6 wins.

Much like his counter part, he to faced the early prospect struggles when he took on Brandon Royval in a #1 contenders bout. Taira struggled to get the takedowns necessary to imply his grappling game.

Over the course of the bout the striking advantage became abundantly clear for Royval. The striking defense of Taira was exploited when he was unable to get the take down.

Will Taira Rise To The Occasion?

Taira took a lot of damage in the bout with out throwing much volume in return. Despite that, he was still able to fight himself into a split decision.

Since he has gone on to put together back to back impressive finish victories. In bout bouts he showed improved striking and of course his highly impressive grappling skills.

I believe he is getting his title shot at the perfect time and is ready for the opportunity. This bout is ever more interesting due to the young age of both prospects.

A combined age of 50 years and being a fly weight bout, there is no doubt speed and quickness will be on full display. Tonight we will find out if Van is truly deserving of the belt or if Taira rises to his potential to claim it!

Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira Odds:

• Moneyline: (C) Joshua Van (+142) vs Tatsuro Taira (-167)
• Round Total: 3.5 Total Rounds – Over (-118) / Under (-102)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Tatsuro Taira By Submission (+190)

Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes – Acosta Odds – Heavyweight

• Moneyline: Alexander Volkov (-135) vs Waldo Cortes – Acosta (+115)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-225) / Under (+189)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Alexander Volkov By Points (+130)

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley Odds – Welterweight

• Moneyline: Sean Brady (-170) vs Joaquin Buckley (+145)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-118) / Under (-102)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: Sean Brady By Points (+175)

King Green vs Jeremy Stephens Odds – Lightweight

• Moneyline: King Green (-445) vs Jeremy Stephens (+345)
• Round Total: 2.5 Total Rounds – Over (-145) / Under (+125)
• Most Likely Method Of Victory: King Green By Points (+115)

UFC 328 Schedule & FAQ:

When is UFC 328?

• UFC 328 will take place Saturday May 6th, 2026.

Where is UFC 328?

• UFC 328 will go down live at The Prudential Center, In Newark New Jersey.

What time does UFC 328 start?

• UFC 328 Early Preliminary Card Start time: 5 p.m. ET
• UFC 328 Preliminary Card start time: 7 p.m. ET
• UFC 329 Main Card start time: 9 p.m. ET

How to Watch UFC 328?

• UFC 328 Early Preliminary Card Coverage: Paramount+
• UFC 328 Preliminary Card Coverage: Paramount+
• UFC 328 Main Card Coverage: Paramount+

How to Bet on UFC 328?

• Most international and domestic sportsbooks will carry odds for a fight card of this caliber but click here for some sites and applications us bettors here at Betting News recommend for a great UFC betting experience.