Overview
- Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will defend his title against former champion Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event on May 9 in Newark, N.J.
- Joe Rogan urged the UFC to skip its new pre-fight faceoff segment for this matchup, citing the fighters’ open hostility and recent faceoffs that lacked strong security.
- UFC analyst Din Thomas warned the lead-up could turn ugly and called for extra security, raising concerns about reactions from Chimaev’s entourage if Strickland escalates trash talk.
- Belal Muhammad said Strickland talked his way into the shot over streaking contender Nassourdine Imavov and predicted Chimaev would dominate on the ground.
- Coverage from Bloody Elbow, BJPENN, and Yahoo Sports highlights a split focus between safety at televised faceoffs and claims that promotion won out over merit in choosing the challenger.