Throughout the week, Sean Strickland made bold statements, and on Saturday night at UFC 328, he delivered on every word. In the main event from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship, handing Khamzat Chimaev the first professional defeat of his career. The entire card, including the headliner, was streamed live on Paramount+.
The outcome was as polarizing as Strickland himself, with two judges scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of the former champion, while the third judge gave the same score to Chimaev. Strickland outlanded Chimaev 160-137, with a significant edge in head strikes. He also defended four of the 13 takedown attempts from Chimaev, who entered as the heavy favorite.
Joshua Van successfully defended his flyweight title in a thrilling co-main event. Van finished Tatsuro Taira early in the fifth round, keeping his belt. The two engaged in an electrifying battle, combining for nearly 300 strikes landed. Taira connected on eight takedowns, but Van scored two knockdowns, including the decisive blow.
Alexander Volkov, Sean Brady, and King Green rounded out the main card with wins. Volkov and Brady secured unanimous decisions, while Green submitted fellow veteran Jeremy Stephens in the opening round of the main card.
The preliminary card featured four consecutive finishes, highlighted by Ateba Gautier’s stoppage in the featured prelim. Yaroslav Amosov, Grant Dawson, and Jim Miller all earned submission victories.