The bad blood between UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and former titleholder Sean Strickland will finally be settled tomorrow night (Sat., May 9, 2026) at UFC 328 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, but first the two rivals squared off one final time during Friday’s ceremonial weigh ins (replay HERE).
Chimaev’s first title defense will come against a familiar foe as he and Strickland used to train together. It was brief, but both middleweights felt like
they got enough out of those sessions to have an advantage entering Saturday night. One of them will ultimately be wrong, but that’s part of the fun. Fight fans are eager to see who can back up their mountains of trash talk and which middleweight will enter the summer with a loss.
Ahead of Saturday’s main event grudge match, Chimaev and Strickland took to the stage on Friday for one final staredown. Security was on high alert after Thursday’s press conference kick, but Khamzat and Strickland still got one last look at one another.
Check out the final staredown below along with more main card faceoffs from Saturday’s jam-packed card in Newark!
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira
Alexander Volkov vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley
King Green vs. Jeremy “Overweight” Stephens
For more UFC 328 fight card news and coverage click HERE.
