Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland has finally been announced by Dana White. The highly anticipated grudge matchup will take place on May 9th at UFC 328.
The fight is going to be the first title defense for Chimaev, who won the UFC middleweight title back in August last year by defeating Dricus du Plessis. On the flip side, Strickland is coming off a shocking yet dominant win over Anthony Hernandez last month.
With the announcement of the Strickland matchup. Interestingly, UFC has now officially snubbed the No. 2-ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov, who was long considered the next in line to fight for the title.
Apart from the main event fight set between Chimaev and Strickland, a few more fights have been announced. Alexander Volkov will square off against Waldo Cortes-Acosta in the co-main event at heavyweight. The bout between Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley will also be a part of the card. Take a look at the fight card announced so far:
- Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
- Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov 2
- Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley
- Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio
- Ateba Gautier vs. Osman Diaz
- Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa
- Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Djorden Santos
- King Green vs. Jeremy Stephens
Dana White on Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland have shared extreme bad blood for years. And now they’ll finally get the chance to settle it inside the Octagon. For those unaware, the two previously sparred together at Xtreme Couture, with both fighters offering wildly different versions of how those sessions went. Since then, the pair have constantly traded insults through interviews and social media, turning their rivalry into one of the most talked-about feuds.
Speaking about the same, White said this while announcing the fight:
“The main event, the fight people have been waiting for for a long time. Strickland looked incredible in his last performance. How much security do you think we’re going to need for Chimaev vs Strickland?”
“How much security you think we’re gonna need for Chimaev vs Strickland?” 😭
– Dana White pic.twitter.com/wQXtUxFuAj
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 13, 2026
Considering the bad blood between the two, Dana White’s remarks certainly hold some value. That said, it will be interesting to see how the build up to the fight happens and who comes out on top when the two enter the octagon.
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