Khamzat Chimaev's Next Fight: When He Faces Sean Strickland At UFC 328

UFC middleweight champion and global MMA star Khamzat Chimaev is set to return to the UFC's Octagon this Saturday. Chimaev faces controversial former champion and perennial contender Sean Strickland. The fight headlines UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.

The build to this fight has been nasty and packed with eyebrow-raising comments from both men. Additional security has been added for fighter and fan safety. Here's everything you need to know about Borz's next fight.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Event: UFC 328: Chimaev vs. Strickland
• Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
• Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
• Main Card Start: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
• Prelims: 7 p.m. ET | Early Prelims: 5 p.m. ET
• U.S. Stream: Paramount+
• U.K. Broadcast: TNT Sports 1 / HBO Max (main card 2 a.m. BST Sunday)
• Title On The Line: UFC Middleweight Championship

When Is Khamzat Chimaev's Next Fight?

The main card kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, with Chimaev and Strickland expected to walk to the cage between 10:30 and 11 p.m. ET, depending on how earlier bouts play out.

For international fans, the U.K. broadcast runs late, with prelims starting at midnight BST and the main card at 2 a.m. BST on Sunday morning. If you’re searching this on May 9, the simplest way to look at it is: it's tonight, headlining the card, and the early-evening start times only matter if you want to catch the prelims.

Who Is Khamzat Chimaev Fighting at UFC 328?

Chimaev is defending his UFC middleweight title for the first time against a former champion. The champion enters 15-0 overall and 9-0 in the UFC, coming off a one-sided title-winning performance over Dricus du Plessis that featured 12 takedowns and over 21 minutes of control time, per UFC's official numbers.

Strickland is the man who dethroned Israel Adesanya in 2023 before losing the belt to du Plessis. Strickland lost the rematch to du Plessis in 2025 before Chimaev relieved DDP of the belt.

After scoring a TKO win over Anthony Hernandez, Strickland is now back in a title fight as a heavy underdog at +410, per CBS Sports' opening lines, with the bad blood real enough that the UFC has reportedly added extra security for fight week.

The stakes are extremely high for Strickland.

How Can You Watch Chimaev vs. Strickland?

In the United States, UFC 328 streams live on Paramount+ with no additional pay-per-view fee. The full schedule runs early prelims at 5 p.m. ET, prelims at 7 p.m. ET, and the main card at 9 p.m. ET, with Chimaev vs. Strickland closing the night.

In the United Kingdom, prelims begin at midnight BST and the main card starts at 2 a.m. BST on Sunday, with TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max carrying the broadcast. Most other supported markets get the card via Paramount+ at the same ET schedule, with local time conversion required.

What's Next for Chimaev After UFC 328?

If Chimaev runs through Strickland, the conversation immediately shifts to whether he stays at 185 pounds at all. He's already publicly floated a move to light heavyweight after the fight, citing weight-cut and lifestyle reasons, and at top-five pound-for-pound status he becomes an instant problem for whoever holds 205-pound gold.

If he stays at middleweight, Dricus du Plessis sits as the obvious rematch and Nassourdine Imavov has been mentioned as a potential next contender. A loss to Strickland scrambles all of it, since Borz would suddenly need to rebuild his case at 185 instead of chasing superfights across divisions.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com